Jameson turned and scowled at the man through the goggles. “Study them for what?”
“Better ways to kill them, of course.” He pointed through the bunker window. “There they are.”
Jameson turned and watched as a line of people came rushing up the hillside; the wild look in their eyes evident that they weren’t human if their unnatural speed wasn’t enough of an indicator. “What if some of them escape?”
Ingram shook his head. “I suppose that’s the real test then, isn’t it?” He nodded back toward the battle outside.
The first of the vampires hit the front line of Titans. The camouflage came down as the oversized operators engaged the incensed monsters. Fangs and claws sprung to life and flames flew as flesh met the silver embedded in the Kevlar armor. One unfortunate bastard bit into the forearm of a Titan only to scream as his body burst into flames, the operator simply shook the ashes loose from his arm then continued on to engage another target.
Tracers interspersed with silver rounds made quick work of the main body of the attackers. The few who tried to bolt and run past the flanks of the operators soon found themselves being run down, silver coated blades sunk deep into their bodies. Ingram chuckled as he leaned in close to Jameson, “No sense in wasting ammo when a sharp blade will do the trick, eh?”
“I suppose not.” Jameson studied the movements of the Titans and nodded his approval. The fluidity of the large men as they engaged the monsters gave him high hopes that when they attacked and removed the hated Monster Squad, none would be left.
“They seem to adapt quite well in the field, wouldn’t you say?”
Jameson nodded. “Against fangers. What about wolves? Any chance you collected some of them to test them with?”
“Sorry, but wolves are a bit harder to come by.” Ingram hit a few keystrokes and finished the recording of the encounter as the Titans mopped up the last of the vampires. “All in all, I’d say it was a good test.”
“It was too easy.” Jameson pulled his goggles off and tossed them on the table. “We need to see how they react in an uncontrolled environment.”
Ingram paused and turned to the older man. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying, we need to sic them after that band of fangers that we’re tracking. The ones headed north. Let them earn a few stripes on a real hunt. If everything goes as well with that operation, we can send them after the Squads.”
Ingram nodded his head slowly. “Are they still moving on foot?”
“Yes, and they’re not making very good time. They’ve hit a bit of weather. It doesn’t affect the fangers much, but their human livestock can’t take the cold as well as they do.”
Ingram shuddered. “Just the thought of humans volunteering themselves to be food for those…things, makes me sick.”
Jameson patted the man’s shoulder. “Make sure the Titans know that we don’t give quarter to traitors.”
Ingram watched the man walk out of the bunker as the realization struck him. Not only were they going to kill the fangers, but they were going after the humans as well.
When would it stop?
9
Mitchell pulled the door shut and handed the stack of files to Lieutenant Gregory. “Get these to Doc. I want a detailed report of just what in the hell this means.”
“Right away, sir.” Gregory hefted the files and turned for the stairwell.
Mitchell watched him go, his eyes avoiding Tufo. “What was your take?”
Mark continued to study the man behind the glass. “Whether it’s true or not, he believes it.” He crossed his arms and turned to his CO. “I just don’t get why the Agency would decide to target us.”
“Me either. According to this wisenheimer, they’ve buddied up with the NSA as well. They’re both overstepping their Constitutional authority.”
“I thought the NSA was aware of our mission?”
Mitchell shook his head. “They’re aware that we handle certain threats on American soil. They just weren’t aware of what kind.” He cast a furtive glance at his XO. “I hate to say it, but I think it’s time we notify the Oversight Committee.”
“Joy.” Mark fell into step behind Mitchell as the two worked their way back to the CO’s office. “Any chance that rancid pile of politicians can actually do something about this?”
“Probably not, but they need to be made aware that there may yet be another threat against our operation. This one coming from within.”
“I thought we were done with this sort of crap when Franklin bit the big one.”
Mitchell paused in the hallway outside his door at the mention of Senator Franklin’s name. “I always suspected that would come back to bite me in the ass.”
“What do you mean? This has nothing to do with him, does it?”
“Karma’s a bitch, Mark.” Mitchell pushed open his door and took his chair. “Find a holding cell for Stevens until we can either verify his story or debunk it. It’s either for his own safety or…”
“Or he’s gonna pay for sending us on a wild goose chase. Gotcha.” Mark turned and headed back out of Mitchell’s office leaving the man alone to think.
Matt jotted a few notes then picked up the phone. “Get me the OC. Whoever might actually be at work today. Tell them it’s important.”
*****
Jack walked into the conference room and paused. He saw Allister standing in the middle of the large room, his wings spread wide and a low grumbling growl reverberating through the room. “What’s going on in here?”
“It would seem we have an intruder.” Allister slowly lowered his wings and Jack saw a man with dark hair standing in the rear of the room, his demeanor one of mild annoyance.
“Explain yourself before I let my Second in Charge eat you for lunch.” Jack slowly approached, wishing he had a weapon on hand.
The man held up his hand and Jack watched as Allister slowly lowered and tucked his wings then sat down. “I mean no harm.” The man stepped around the griffin that now seemed catatonic. “I come bearing news.”
“That’s far enough.” Jack pointed at the man, his hand reaching for the angelic dagger. “You still haven’t told me who you are or what your business is here.”
The man stopped and flashed a soft smile. “I mean you no harm, Chief Jack Thompson of the human hunters. My name is Azazel and I bring you word of Lilith.”
Jack drew the dagger and took a defensive posture. “How the hell do you know we’re looking for her?”
Azazel held his hands up and indicated that he had no weapons. “I come in peace, Chief Jack Thompson.”
“Just call me Jack. But you better explain faster.”
“Michael sent me to try to stop Samael and Lilith.” He shook his head, and Jack could read true sorrow in his face. “They won’t be stopped by words. So I have been sent to you. You are destined to lead the force that will stop her.” He waved his hand up and around the room. “You, and your people here.”
“Michael who?”
Azazel cocked his head to the side and shot him a questioning look. “Why, the Archangel Michael. Who else?”
Jack slowly lowered the dagger and stepped closer. “You’re telling me that an angel sent you…here?”
“Yes. Precisely.”
“And you? You’re…an…”
“An angel. Yes.” Azazel stepped closer and continued to hold his hands out empty. “I’m no Archangel. I’m simply a messenger.”
“And does Michael know that Phil is helping us?” Azazel gave him the same confused look. “The Nephilim that was guarding the angelic weapons, he’s joined the resistance so to speak.”
“Ah, yes, he is aware.”
Jack sighed and tucked the dagger back into the sheath. “Tell me something. Why the hell don’t you guys just come down here and kick her fat ass back to Purgatory or Hell or wherever it is she’s supposed to be? Why do we have to do it?”
Azazel shook his head solemnly. “We are barred from interfering. Technicall
y, we are not supposed to even appear to you to tell you what shall transpire.” He glanced up toward the ceiling and nodded, smiling. “Let’s just say that your prayers were heard and an exception was made.”
“My…huh?”
“You prayed for your people. You prayed for guidance. You prayed for assistance in finding Lilith.” Azazel held his hands out then brought them together. “I was sent to answer that prayer.”
Jack felt his shoulders slump with a modicum of relief. “You’ve got to be shitting me. Well halleluiah and what’s her address?”
“It is not that simple, Jack.” Azazel indicated the maps at the table. “I can show you where she will be and when. But I can also tell you that she plans to come here. You took something that she wants. She does not know that you now know. You could prepare for her.”
“Wait…what? She’s planning to attack us? Here?” Jack felt his heart rate speed up then took a deep cleansing breath. “When and how?”
“You have a choice, Jack. You can meet her on her own grounds or wait for her here. Both choices have merits.”
Jack nodded. “If I go to her, it’s unfamiliar territory. All the satellite data and blue prints aren’t the same as knowing the grounds.”
“True.”
“If I let her attack us, I risk not only my own people, but the rest of the people who work here and on the base.”
“Also true.” Azazel pulled a chair out for him. “Neither are the best choice, but you should choose one.”
Jack walked to the table and pulled the chair out further. He pulled the map closer and watched as Azazel scanned them. “She is currently here. Very soon, they will all be meeting here, in this town.” He tapped the map. “There is an old saw mill there. It has been shut down for some time and they have a large empty building where they will stage prior to attacking.”
“How do you know this?” Jack turned a skeptical eye to the angel.
Azazel turned and stared him in the eye. “Some angels have the gift of sight. I am not one of them, but Michael is. He told me.”
“Did he tell you which would be the best place to attack?”
The angel shook his head. “He can see futures that are set and he can see possibilities. These two scenarios are still ‘possibilities’ since you have not chosen either one yet.”
“Great.” Jack leaned against the table and ran a hand through his close cropped hair. “All I know to do is take it to my people. Let the Wyldwood weigh in on it as well.”
Azazel stepped back and eyed him. “That does not sound like the leader that Michael described to me. He said that you were a hard man. A warrior. One whose word was set in stone.”
Jack snorted and shook his head. “I’m starting to doubt Mikey’s ability to see anything now.” He pulled the map off the table and pinned it to the wall next to the white board. “I learned a long time ago to listen to my people. Sometimes they can see things that I can’t. Besides, they’re not really my people. They’re on loan. I refuse to put any more risk on their heads than I have to.”
Azazel nodded. “I understand. Perhaps if more leaders thought as you do…” He paused and stared up at the ceiling again. Turning back to Jack he gave him a curt nod. “I must take my leave now. You have the information that was to be delivered. Good luck, Jack.”
Jack opened his mouth to ask another question but the green flash of light blinded him. When he opened his eyes again and could see, the man was gone. He noted Allister beginning to stir and he glanced up at the ceiling where Azazel kept staring.
“Thank you. I think.”
*****
Derek practically ran through the yard, the large rifle strapped to his back. “It took some serious talking, but I got the…what’s wrong?”
“I spoke with him.” Laura sniffed back the tears that refused to stop running down her cheeks. “He’s not coming back.”
Derek unslung the rifle and stared at her, confusion and disbelief painted across his features. “What do you mean, he’s not coming back?”
“Just what I said, D. He claims he knows what he’s doing. He wants to be a wolf, and he refuses to take the shot.” She slumped to the ground, her energy drained as her emotions ran wild.
“No. I don’t accept that. He’s just running off the delirium from the first shot. Didn’t your boyfriend say that could happen?”
“He isn’t delirious, Derek. He sounded as clearheaded as I’ve ever heard him.” She looked up from the ground at her brother and shook her head. “This is what he wants.”
“I call bullshit, sis. Give me that second dose stuff.” He reached for her bag and pulled out the vial. As he began to fill the dart Laura reached for his hands.
“Don’t, D. You’ll never find him out there. He’s seen to it.”
“Did you call Jimmy and have him bring the dogs?” She shook her head slowly in the moonlight. “Why the hell not?”
“What would I tell him, Derek? That Dad ran off into the woods and refuses to have anything to do with us? Or…or maybe I tell him everything like I told you? That I injected him with a damned werewolf virus, and now he’s overdosed on it so he can become a wolf and never have to come home again? Or maybe I tell him that the crap in the dart is some miracle cure, but it’s only a fifty-fifty chance at a cure and Dad might still end up a wolf for the rest of his life, except he wouldn’t really be a wolf, he’d be a Halfling. Stuck as a half man, half wolf for now on? Which one do you think would go over better at Sunday dinners?” Her voice had risen almost to a screech and Derek found himself slowly backing away from her.
“I think you’re losing it now, sis.” He finished filling the dart and tossed the vial aside. “I’ll go out there, and I’ll find him. And when I do, I’ll fill his ass with this stuff and we can rest easy for a while.”
“Derek…don’t.” She pulled herself to her feet and stepped between him and the gate. “Every moment that goes by, the chances drop that it will even work. And dad is convinced that this is what he wants.”
“Jesus Laura, you drank the Kool-Aid that Dad served up, and now you’re ready to give up on him.” He pushed past her and threw the narrow gate open. “I don’t give up that easy.”
“You’ll never find him, D. He knows those woods better than any man alive!” she called to his rapidly retreating figure.
“He taught me these woods, sis. If anybody can find him, it’s me.”
She watched until he disappeared into the darkness, the trees swallowing him in their shadow. Laura leaned against the fence post and sighed. She knew that he’d come back empty handed. She just hoped that he’d find a way to forgive her one day for allowing all of this to happen.
*****
Mark made his way back from the holding cells and paused on the floor where Doc’s lab was. He knew that it was early, but he wanted to see if Evan had any insight on the documents that the colonel had sent to him. He approached the lab and knocked lightly on the doorjamb. “Got a second?”
Dr. Peters jumped; his hand flying to a silver-coated knife by his side. He visibly relaxed once he saw who was at his door. “Forgive me, Major. I’m a bit jumpy.”
“I noticed.” Mark stepped up and into the lab. “What’s going on?”
Evan released the blade and gave him a wan smile. “I’m afraid that I had a slight run-in with Mister Thorn earlier. I’m still a bit jumpy from it.”
“Did he threaten you?” Mark’s defensive posture became obvious, and Evan felt the need to defuse the situation quickly.
“No, not at all. In fact, he came to apologize. Supposedly.” He stood from his chair and wiped at his eyes. “I’m afraid that just the sight of the man set me off. I yelled at him to leave, and he tried to insist on telling me why he did what he did. I suppose he thought it would make a difference.”
Mark leaned against the counter and listened. “And? Did he refuse to leave or…”
“What? No, nothing like that. He was actually quite the gentleman. I just…” He turn
ed his eyes away and tried to think of the right words. “I just couldn’t stand the sight of him after he abused my trust the way he did.”
“Understandable. To be honest, I’m not too keen on his being here either. But he’s our guest for now, so we just have to tolerate him.”
“If you say so, sir.” Evan took his seat again and crossed his hands in his lap. “What can I do for you, Major?”
“I was just curious if you got a chance to look at the stuff Matt sent you.”
“Yes, I did have a chance to glance through them. I haven’t given them a thorough going over yet. I was just making preliminary notes from what I saw.” He turned and pulled his notebook to his side. “If the armor that is in these schematics is real, it is quite high tech.”
“Talk to me.”
“Well, they’re a special blend of Kevlar and carbon fibers with silver strands woven into the material. Quite ingenious if I may say so. I’m surprised I didn’t think of this, to be completely honest.”
“What else?”
“Well, besides the microprocessor-controlled damage control units mounted throughout the system, it’s still quite remarkable. The helmets have heads-up display, the communications are satellite uplink capable. Oh, and this is truly remarkable. Tiny CO2 cartridges mounted for each piece of armor. They’re deployed in the event of a bleeding injury. They charge concentric rings that are built into the interior of the suits.”
“What does that mean, Doc? English, please.”
Evan cleared his throat. “Major, if a soldier is shot…say in the leg. The suit can assess where the man is bleeding, route the CO2 charge to inflate an elastic ring that is built within the suit itself. It acts as a tourniquet to stanch the flow of blood. Then, that section is filled with an antibacterial foam that also has a clotting agent. It basically seals the wound and enables the soldier to keep fighting.”
Mark nodded. “Like ‘Fix-A-Flat’ but for a person?”
“More or less, yes. And the entire thing is controlled by this back mounted mini-computer. The entire thing is encased in a magnesium housing. Anything short of a direct shot to the casing would just glance off. It’s actually quite ingenious.”
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