Obsessions: A Monster Squad Novel 7

by Heath Stallcup

  “Movement,” Sierra Five called out quietly. Neils ‘Hammer’ Erikson was placed near the top of the arch, his field of view towards a clearing roughly half the size of a football field.

  Dom tried not to turn his head in the general direction, his curiosity piqued. “How many?”

  “Two,” Sierra Five responded, his whispered voice hesitant. “They’ve stopped…almost as if they expect something.”

  “Let them close on us, Five.” Dom continued staring through his night vision optic, waiting for something to break through the tree line.

  “They’re just sniffing at the air, One.” Neils studied the pair at the opening of the clearing.

  Major Tufo keyed the coms. “Check your wind.”

  “Wind is good, OPCOM. Our position is downwind,” Sierra Five reported, his eyes studying the pair who were slowly backing away and into the trees. “They’re breaking back, One. Orders?”

  Dom cursed under his breath. He keyed his coms, “Vulture, do you have eyes on the rest of the party?”

  “Affirmative, One. They’ve slowed their approach, but are still closing.”

  “Orders, One?” Neils flipped the safety off his carbine and centered the crosshairs on the rearward vampire.

  Dom sighed. “Drop them.” He offered up a silent prayer that they weren’t about to give away their position.

  Suppressed silver jacketed rounds exited the barrel of the Colt M4, striking the first vampire square in the chest, the second in the temple as he turned to see what caused his friend to suddenly turn to orange ash. “Two tangos down.”

  “Report.” Dom waited for each operator to report that nothing in their area had changed. Jericho continued to scan the area below with the drone.

  “Tangos still on approach, but moving much, much slower.” His voice hesitated then he continued, “The lead vampire has stopped, One. Two more are breaking away and heading toward the clearing.”

  “Shit!” Dom whispered into the mic. “We may have dropped two scouts. Prepare to pull up stakes. We may have to chase these rabbits down.” He continued to stare through the optics then keyed his mic again, “Vulture, I need real time live feeds.”

  Inside the OPCOM Mitchell noted another group breaking away and swinging wide to the south. If they continued on their path, they’d either flank the operators or pass by them well beyond their effective range. “Dammit! Mark, flag those runners and feed the intel to Second Squad.”

  Major Tufo brought up the screen and placed designators on the group of six that had broken away from the main group. He keyed the commands that sent the intel to the squad. “Done and done.”

  A moment later Dom had read the incoming message and keyed his mic. “Sierra Two and Three, break south and stop these asshats before they get past us. Double-time.”

  “Copy that.”

  Dom couldn’t see or hear the two operators as they broke from the group, but he knew they were on the move, their intercept course set at a sharp angle as they cut along the edge of the creek to cut off the small group of vampires. “Vulture, sitrep.”

  “They’re still working their way toward you, but very slowly, One. It’s almost as if they waiting to hear back from the group sent to the clearing.”

  “Check for radio traffic. Scan all frequencies.” Dom ground his teeth as he considered the possibilities. If these ‘baby vamps’ were using radios and flanking maneuvers before hitting a town? That didn’t sound like any baby vamp attack he’d ever heard of before.

  “Bingo on the radio traffic, One. We have civilian two-ways being utilized in your area.” Jericho switched the coms over so that they could hear the conversation.

  “…come in. Dale, are you there?” A moment later the radio crackled to life again. “Will, if you find Dale and he’s okay, give him your radio. We need to know that the coast is clear before we move closer.”

  “Will do. We’re almost to the clearing now.”

  Dom groaned. He keyed his coms. “Five, if they poke their heads out of that clearing, drop ‘em.”

  “Copy that.” Neils scanned the tree line and waited for anything to break through. As soon as the two vampires stepped into the clearing, the first one only took a couple of steps before spotting the charred remains of their compatriots. He turned to run when he burst into orange flames, the silver jacketed round slicing through his midsection. The second vampire stood in shock, his mouth open and eyes wide as his friend fell to the ground in silent hellfire. He didn’t have a chance to blink before he met a similar fate, his heart ruptured by the silver round that shredded through his chest. “Two tangos down.”

  “Second Squad, advance.” Dom stood from the edge of the creek and brought the SCAR to his eye, scanning the area before him as he made a tactical advance into the trees.

  *****

  Jack stepped through the boulder and watched as the last of his team exited, the glowing light fading as Kalen closed the portal. “Kid, one of these days you’re going to have to show me how to do that.”

  “You must be a Gatekeeper in order to—”

  “Yeah, I’m sure it’s really interesting, but not now.” Jack stepped past him and approached his disapproving father-in-law. “As promised.”

  Viktor stared at the ‘team’ that Jack brought with him. “These are your warriors?” He raised a questioning brow.

  Jack refused to take offense. “The best there are for kicking Lilith’s ass. At least, that’s what the head elf lady tells me.” He waved Viktor onward. “Lead the way.”

  Viktor turned and escorted the crew inside. Paul immediately came to his feet and stared wide eyed at Jack, his feet stumbling as he stepped back and away from him. “H-how did…where did you find him at?”

  Viktor rolled his eyes at the bumbling vampire. “He answers when called.”

  “Only for a chance at Lilith,” Jack corrected. “She’s my main priority here.”

  “Well, she thinks we’re going there to install a computer system so that she can watch…something.” Foster kept his distance but tried to explain. “You can’t just kick in the doors, guns blazing.”

  “No shit.” Jack stared the vampire down. “Well there goes Plan A.”

  Foster paled and turned wide eyed to Viktor. “Surely he wasn’t…”

  “No, he wasn’t.” Viktor pushed past the vampire and to a makeshift table. “Foster gave me a rough layout of the place.”

  “As best as I could see it, anyway.” Paul hurried to Viktor’s side, putting as much distance as he could between himself and Jack.

  “How did you get a look inside?” Jack closed the distance, putting Foster into a decidedly more uncomfortable state.

  “I was on the roof with Rufus before he was captured.”

  “Tell me everything.” Jack stared the vampire down and Foster swallowed hard.

  Viktor placed a firm hand on Jack’s shoulder. “We are all on the same side here.”

  “For now.” Jack raised a brow at Paul. “Spill it. Everything.”

  Paul nodded and opened his mouth to speak but Viktor cut him off. “No. We are all on the same team. Not just for now. Not just until we get Rufus back. Not just until Lilith is dead. We are all on the same team. Period.”

  Jack turned slowly to Viktor, his eyes narrowed. “Apparently you’ve never been betrayed.”

  “Apparently you do not realize what it means to be somebody’s Second.”

  Jack squared his shoulders. “I’ll only Second somebody who proves themselves honorable and worthy of my being their Second.”

  “And you still do not know the whole story. Have you spoken to Rufus? Have you heard his side of this?” Viktor would not be intimidated.

  “I don’t need to. I know the facts. He took the trust I gave him and he used it against me. He stole from my people and tried to build a Doomsday weapon. He tried to use it against wolves at the island.” Jack pointed at Viktor. “Don’t you get it Viktor? If that damned thing had worked, he could have killed ALL of th
e wolves there, including me…including Nadia and our baby. Perhaps even you and Natashia.”

  “But it did not.” Viktor crossed his arms and glared at him.

  “Only because it backfired on him.”

  “If I may?” Paul raised his hand like a school boy. “He only had that damnable thing built to battle Lilith.”

  Jack turned on him so fast that it spooked him. “Yet Lilith wasn’t at the island, was she?” Foster shook his head, swallowing nervously. “No, it was only wolves at the island.”

  “Wolves who had you outnumbered and outgunned,” Viktor added. “You surely would have lost had he not…”

  “We beat them back without his Doomsday weapon!” Jack yelled. “Face it, Viktor, he’s not the same man you once worked with. He’s become paranoid and obsessed to the point that he’ll lie and steal to meet his own agenda.”

  Viktor nodded. “And wouldn’t you? If it meant staying alive? He’s facing the Council, Lilith, and now you. You, who were supposed to be his Second.”

  “Don’t you dare try to turn this around to make him the victim.” Jack turned to face his warriors who simply watched the two going at it. “I can take my team and leave you standing here with nothing but your dick in your hand.”

  “If it means that you’ll do nothing to save Rufus, I’d rather you did.” Viktor’s voice was low and soft, much more effective than if he had yelled.

  Jack had to force himself to slow his breathing, his anger trying to get the better of him. “I told you that we’d help you. But Lilith is our primary goal. If we can stop her, then Rufus isn’t in any more danger.”

  Viktor studied him for a moment then turned to Paul. “What do you say? You are his Second now.”

  Foster sighed heavily, his head slowly shaking. “I say that it’s better than nothing.” He faced Viktor and as much as he hated to admit it… “There are few people in this world who scare me as much as he does. I’d rather get what I can from him.”

  *****

  Laura and Derek stayed up into the wee hours of the night talking of dragons and elves and vampires and anything else that Derek could think of to ask her about. As the clock ticked on and the stories unfolded, headlights reflected across the living room windows. Derek picked himself up from the floor and walked to the curtains, pulling them back and staring into the yard. “Looks like James finally pulled himself away from his family.” He turned and gave her a lopsided grin. “Somebody must have told him you were in town.”

  Laura stretched and lifted herself from the couch. “Great. Just remember, don’t say anything to him about what we talked about, okay?”

  “Like what? That you turned Dad into a werewolf? Or that you’re dating a vampire? Or that everything we were ever taught wasn’t real really is real?”

  “Yeah, all that.” Laura pulled open the front door and stepped out onto the porch. “Damn they stack it tall out here.”

  “You kiss your daddy with that mouth, little missy?” James jumped onto the porch and lifted her into a bear hug. “Good to see you again, sis.”

  “I’d say the same, but I think you cracked a few ribs.” She pushed away from him and patted his midsection. “I see married life has made you soft.”

  “What can I say? I like to eat!” He chuckled as he pushed past her and walked inside. James plopped onto the couch and pulled Laura down beside him. “So tell me all about how things are in D.C. or wherever the hell you’re working now. Got a boyfriend yet?” he teased as he pulled her close and tickled her.

  She pushed away from him and leaned across the other side of the couch. “Crimeny, James, I’m not fifteen anymore.”

  “No shit.” He gave her a crooked smile. “Fifteen-year-olds don’t turn grey.” He pointed to her hair and she slugged him in the arm.

  “I am not turning grey.” She pulled her legs up and sat on her feet. “I swear, it’s like coming home from college during the holidays around here.”

  Derek handed James a beer and set one in front of Laura. “Some things never change Punk.”

  “Some things do. Heidi is expecting again.” James popped the top on the beer and took a long pull. “This one makes four.”

  “You know what causes that, don’t you?” Laura teased as she popped open her own beer.

  James nodded. “Yeah, I shot the mailman, but she just keeps getting pregnant. Maybe it’s the UPS driver?” He shot her an evil grin.

  “You’re horrible.”

  Derek stretched out on the floor again and watched the two. “Don’t let him kid you, Punk. He’s proud as punch that he still has lead in his pencil.”

  James threw the bottle top at him then flipped him the bird. “I’m not that old, butthead.”

  “You act it sometimes.” Derek took a pull from his beer then set it aside.

  James sat on the couch, absently peeling at the label of his beer. “So I guess you came out here to say goodbye to Pop?”

  Laura gave him a sideways look. “I came out to see him.” She shrugged. “He didn’t look so bad to me.”

  James raised a brow but didn’t look at her. “Really? Did you talk to his doctors?”

  “No, but Dad was talking about maybe coming home.” She watched him carefully and watched him simply nod.

  “Yeah, he’s been saying that ever since he went in this last time. Docs don’t think he’ll be leaving this time.” James pulled the label off and flattened it on his knee. “I thought maybe they could let him come home just to…well, you know.”

  “To die?”

  He finally turned and looked at her. “Yeah. Some place that he’s comfortable with. You know, like a hospice or something.”

  Derek cleared his throat. “They wouldn’t allow it. Said something about the pain meds he needs.”

  Laura nodded. “He didn’t use any pain meds while I was there.”

  James took a pull from his beer then set it on the coffee table. “Yeah, they feed it straight in through his IV now. He kept throwing up the pills.” He sighed and shook his head. “He’s a tough old buzzard.”

  “What about Crystal?” Laura couldn’t believe the words came out of her mouth until she saw both of her brothers turn to face her. “I just meant…couldn’t she help him if he was here?”

  James shook his head. “Not with the meds. They’re pretty well controlled. I was trying to see if there was a nurse who could come by and…”

  Laura reached out and patted his hand. “Don’t give up hope. He may well outlive us all.”

  James gave her a confused look. “Don’t count on it, Punkin.”

  *****

  “So how come Admin isn’t all over this?” Little John closed the file and shoved it back into the stack next to him.

  Spalding rubbed at his eyes and sighed. “Honestly? I think they were ready to write off Apollo as soon as he turned on us. This? This is…low priority. They figure that whoever the shooter is will pop up on radar again soon enough. Then they’ll sic us after him and we’ll take care of it.” He reached for another file and opened it. “I’d rather track the son of a bitch down and take the ass whoopin’ to him than wait and see if he tries to hurt anybody else.”

  John stretched and tried to work the kinks out of his oversized frame. Working from the floor of Spalding’s office was just a little too tight. “I can’t say that I blame ya.” He glanced at his watch and couldn’t help but wonder where Brooke might be.

  “You don’t need to stay and help. I can stay on this.”

  John shook his head. “Naw, I don’t mind. Besides, I’d just try to figure out another way to piss off my sister.” He gave him a lopsided grin. “When it comes to death and destruction, I know just what to do. Trying to deal with family?” He shrugged his massive shoulders. “I’m completely lost.”

  Spalding pushed the file away and ran a hand through his hair. “I wish I knew what to tell you. I mean, I wish there was a quick fix, but there just isn’t. She’s just going to need some time.”

  John gr
unted a laugh. “Like she hasn’t had enough of that.” He shut the file in his hands and set it in his lap. “She’s had since I was ten, I think that’s plenty of time.”

  Spanky nodded. “True, that’s her time. Time for her to adjust to what’s happened to her, but not time for her to adjust to how to deal with you.” He pushed his chair back and eyed Sullivan, his mind trying to find the right words. “John, she’s inundated with all these old emotions again. Except here you are…a grown man. You’re not ten any more. That brings a whole new set of issues to the table. She has to deal with her immortality, the fact that you’ve aged and she hasn’t. She…” He sighed and tried to find the right words. “I get the impression that her abduction is still a very sore spot with her. Seeing you now…it brings it all to the forefront again and I don’t think she wants to have to deal with it.”

  “Okay, I guess I can buy that. But if you’re right, she’s having problems dealing with my mortality and her immortality, she needs to realize that I may not be around forever now. Besides aging faster than her, I’m not exactly living a protected lifestyle here.”

  “True, but you’re forgetting, you’re wolf now. You age a lot slower. So you have a lot more time than you think. And as long as you’re careful, your lifestyle isn’t that dangerous.”

  John gave him a smart assed smirk. “Really? You say that to a guy who hunts monsters for a living.”

  Spalding shrugged. “Hey, it sounded a lot better in my head before it rolled out of my mouth, okay?” He pulled the file back closer and opened it. “Just…give her time. If she doesn’t come around, we’ll handcuff her to the interrogation table and you can tell her how much you missed her until she either gives in or chews her hand off to escape.”