by Taki Drake
Turning so quickly that he stumbled slightly, Ivan snatched his bag up from the table and stormed out of the room. Nikko also grabbed his bag and hurried after the younger man. Calling over his shoulder to Dov, the balding subcommander yelled, “I am sorry, Dov. I will get him calmed down.”
Dov turned, stricken, back to Zhanna. It was evident that he didn’t really know what to say. Finally, he started to speak, only to be interrupted by the other man that had come with Nikko. “Sir? I am not really part of Nikko’s group. I was simply in the vicinity when he called Ivan, who was the one that told me that I should come along. There was no intent of disrespect, but I would be interested in the mission if I’m acceptable to the rest of the team.”
Dov looked at him and asked, “Who are you and what are your qualifications? Also, who can vouch for you?”
“My name is Kasha Fedkin, and I recently completed two missions, one in the US and one in Africa. Both of them were protection details, and I acted as assistant bodyguard to the head of the mission. Neither one of the contracts were very long, totaling just under two years. My weapon skills are rated as expert, and my Magic is adequate for most foundation spells.”
Mikhail broke into the conversation, contributing, “I am familiar with Kasha’s qualifications. He was on a mission that I also did. His performance was good, he works well in a team setting, and his general skills are average to good. He is also not a complainer.”
Stefan smiled and contributed his own voice, “I am familiar with both Kasha and Tolya. They are both decent mercs, and I would be pleased with both or either on our current mission. Or for that matter, in the future.” As he spoke, Stefan acknowledged with a head tilt the presence of the last mercenary.
<< That one, I like. Zhanna, he doesn’t give off any creepy vibes, and he doesn’t act like we're playing dress-up with the big guys. I think he’s a keeper. >>
<< That’s unusual praise, coming from you. He must smell like catnip or something! >>
<< Brat! >>
Dov looked relieved, but the subcommander just appeared startled. He was obviously reassessing his opinion of Stefan and Mikhail. The previously unintroduced mercenary, Tolya, provided a welcome diversion when he came up and greeted both Stefan and Mikhail before turning to Zhanna and sticking his hand out. Flushing slightly, he said, “I’m very pleased to meet you, Zhanna. I knew and respected your brother and was very sorry when I heard of his death.”
Pulling her mind back from the maelstrom of remembered grief and the echoes of the fight with Krava, Zhanna forced a smile on her face and answered, “Thank you. It is nice to meet some of the people that remember him.”
Demonstrating clearly that her brother had actually talked to him, Tolya murmured, “He was worried every time he had to leave you and your grandmother. I hope that she is doing well. I got to meet her once many years ago when your brother invited some of us back to his village for a celebration.”
“My Baba is doing as well as you might expect. She still keeps me on my toes.”
Tolya laughed, adding, “I remember. It wasn’t more than a couple hours after we got there that the entire group of us found ourselves pulling weeds in the garden. One of our guys wasn’t too particular about what he was pulling. I still remember the dressing down she gave him!”
“That’s my Baba!”
Chapter 14 – Opening Night
Things settled down after the heat of the introductions. The exit of the two other mercenaries had cleared the air, leaving behind a faint odor of explosive tension as the only trace of their passing.
Now they could get down to business. Zhanna had decided not to have written contracts that specified every little thing that was under their agreement. Instead, she laid out the general mission outline and the need for secrecy. Stefan took some time explaining the general parameters of the mission. With a broad brush of words, the skilled mercenary told the rest of the team that they were going to rescue people to whom they had an obligation. He also explained that the conclave of survivors was endangered and trapped by enemies.
The concise description of the mission seemed to ease both Dov’s and Pavel’s minds. Since Zhanna and Dov had already settled on payment terms and parameters, there was no need to discuss that in this part of the meeting. Instead, Dov quietly informed the other mercenaries that they already had been paid a deposit and he had nothing but confidence in their getting paid the remainder at mission completion.
Pavel asked, “You said that a small group of people from the attacked area managed to get through to you. Will we be able to discuss the situation further with them and can they provide any assistance in getting us to the target group?”
Zhanna answered him but did not directly address his question. Looking at Dov and then the other mercenaries from his group, the young Witch stated, “Now is the time that we have to know if you’re going to take the mission or not. We can’t go any further in this briefing until you give us a yes or no. If you give us a yes, we expect you to keep an open mind and to listen completely to the information that will be covered. This is sheltered under confidential material handling, and I expect your word to be good.”
Pavel started to take umbrage, drawing his chest up higher and preparing to respond hotly. Dov put a hand on his forearm, forestalling the subcommander’s answer, and said directly to Zhanna, “Give us a moment to discuss this, and you will have your answer.”
Stefan and Mikhail joined Zhanna to wait for the answer. The young Witch was trembling slightly as the tension in her body ratcheted even higher. Glancing sideways at the older of the two mercenaries, she asked Stefan, “What do you think they’re going to do? If they say no, what is our backup plan?”
He responded, “They will do it. Right now, the only question is which ones are going with us.”
Mikhail added with a fiendish grin, “I am so looking forward to seeing their faces when we introduce them to the rest of our party.”
A soft voice whispered its way up from under the flap of Zhanna’s pack, “An evil thought from a twisted mind.”
The echoing response came in the concise speech of Saroc, Zhanna’s financial advisor and alien amphibian, “But amusing, all the same.”
It was too much for Zhanna’s control. Laughter welled up from her toes and broke free, sending her peals of relieved amusement echoing through the small room. Mikhail and Stefan added the lower notes of their mirth into crashing chords of joy and relief. When the young Witch looked up and saw that the other four men were staring at her group in curiosity, it set her off again.
Her infectious laughter dragged Stefan and Mikhail in with her, and once again their shared amusement filled the room. Finally, the other four succumbed, and the bonding effects of shared humor changed the atmosphere of the place from one of the problems to be addressed to a shared unity and the beginning of companionship.
Still chuckling to himself, Dov called out, “We are all in agreement. We accept the mission and Pavel, Tolya, and Kasha will accompany you. I will stay back here and coordinate anything you need on this end. Additionally, I’ll be addressing some issues that came up today so that we don’t have to deal with them again.”
Zhanna offered her congratulations, saying, “Excellent. Your agreement relieves my mind because I think you will add a lot to the effort. If you gentlemen seat yourselves again, we can get on with the briefing.”
Everyone took their places at the table again. Sitting back down with a sigh, Pavel asked, “When can we arrange to get briefed by the people that got you the warning? We can plan better at that point. Knowing what we are facing can make the difference between success and failure.”
Stefan took over control of the meeting at this point. “We have general maps of the area that we are going to be moving through. The civilians that brought us the alert are available now. However, they are probably not the type of people you’re expecting.”
Tolya shrugged, saying, “We are used to dealing with all sorts of people
. I am sure that it won’t be as bad as you think.”
With a smile on her face, Zhanna asked him, “Did your grandparents ever tell you stories about the Hidden Folk? Do you believe in Brownies, Unicorns, and Dragons?”
“What a nonsensical question to ask me! I thought we were talking about a serious mission here. I don’t know why you would ask that type of a question now!”
Projecting his voice as much as he could manage, the small brown-furred creature called Noma said, “She asked about your belief in Hidden Folk because that’s who we are. My mate and I came with others to ask the Guardian Witch for help. We will guide you in your mission to rescue the remainder of our group and defeat the Evil Ones.”
With a shrill shout of fear that ripped into Zhanna’s ears, Tolya shoved back from the table and scrambled to his feet. His eyes were wide, and the whites were showing as he backed away from Noma. His body vibrated with the violence of his spine hitting the wall, filling the room with a loud, dull thud. His mouth was open, and he was gabbling incomprehensible sounds. His shock was evident, as he stared first at one of the Hidden Folk and then another, stunned that they had managed to get onto the table without him noticing their presence.
Kasha had frozen in place. His expression was one of wonder, delighted at the evidence in front of his eyes of other beings that had before been only stories. Slowly, his hand rose as he made as if to touch the other brown-furred creature sitting on the table. His motion slowed and finally stopped short of actually making contact. All movement had ceased, and the only sound was the harsh breathing of Tolya.
Tisha, Noma’s mate, stood up. Each step of her tiny feet clicked on the table as she paced closer to Kasha’s outstretched hand. Stretching her small body as tall as it could, she slid the silky fur of her head against the man’s hand in a gesture of welcome and acceptance.
Several men in the room drew in sharp breaths, whether in anticipation or tension. For Kasha, it was different. There was no rejection or repugnance in his face, just simple joy. Voice heavy with emotion he said, “Thank you.”
Dov turned his head to Zhanna, saying, “Now I understand why it was so important that this be secret. I also understand some things that didn’t make any sense before. You are the Witch that took down the blood Mage, Krava, aren’t you?”
“Yes, I am. And these are people that I have sworn to protect.”
Zhanna had been watching for Pavel’s reaction. He had frozen in place at the shock of the Hidden Folk appearance, not moving at all for a moment. Intently, he had stared at each one in turn, evaluating them according to some unspoken measurement, carried only in his own mind. After a slow, revolving examination, his eyes came back to her. “I misjudged you. It won’t happen again. And if my intemperate speech offended you, I apologize. Even I can learn if the lesson is strong enough.”
Dov startled the room when he let loose with a huge belly laugh. His amusement left him gasping for air and plastered looks of confusion on Tolya and Pavel’s faces. Finally getting himself under control, the mercenary commander gasped out, “Nikko. He thinks she doesn’t know how to fight. And Ivan thinks he is this big tough Witch. He even bragged about getting a bonus from Krava!” Dissolving once more into laughter, Dov leaned on the table.
After a moment, Pavel first began to grin and then to laugh. It was so infectious that even Tolya joined in. Visibly steeling himself against the danger represented by the unfamiliar creatures, Tolya carefully rejoined the rest of the group at the table.
Seeing the intense discomfort of the rattled mercenary, Tisha dragged several pieces of cheese and a slab of bread onto one of the small plates from the tray. At the last moment, she added an assortment of the candied fruit. Determinedly grabbing the edge of the plate in her tiny clawed hands, the Hidden Folk female dragged the plate toward Tolya. All conversation in the room had stilled as Tolya stared in frightened focus at the small creature approaching him.
Each of the others in the room watched. Some of them stared at Tolya, while others observed Tisha. Outwardly relaxed, Zhanna knew that this was going to be an important interaction. Almost holding her breath, she waited for what happened next.
The tiny creature managed to drag and push the plate in front of Tolya. In a voice soft with the murmuring of the forest, Tisha said, “Eat. You have had a shock and need to let your body get over it. You are much larger than my sons, but you have the same stubborn male attitude. So take a break and eat, freak out another day.”
As small as her voice volume was, it was apparent that Tisha could clearly be heard by Tolya. Automatically obedient to the sound of a mother’s voice, the man reached for some of the food on the plate and began to eat. Tisha watched him for a few seconds to make sure that he was actually swallowing the food before she turned and walked back to her place beside Noma.
Tolya audibly swallowed, and then gulped down part of a bottle of water. He seemed to be struggling with something in his throat which emerged as words. “Thank you, I am sorry to have behaved badly.”
The tiny brown-furred female smiled at him and said, “Not so badly, and you will do better now I think. Surprises are sometimes very hard to cope with. I know, having raised sons and lived with a husband for many years.”
Zhanna was relieved. Overall, the reception was better than she had hoped. It was time for them to brief the new members their party more thoroughly. After all, they only had about 90 more minutes before it would be show time with Vadim. Nodding her head at Stefan, the young Witch allowed the experienced mercenary to take over the meeting. She was confident that between him and Noma, their auxiliary troops would soon better understand the need and the strategies planned.
Settling back in her chair, the young woman relaxed for a moment. As Stefan laid out the mission brief, Noma and the rest of the Hidden Folk provided a summary of the objectives and the challenges. Zhanna was reminded once more of how lucky she was to have a team. Each of them was doing what they did best and working well with the others. Hopefully, their additional manpower would integrate as successfully.
<< That went well! I thought there for a minute though that Tolya was going to freak out and run from the room. Big strong mercenary running away from a 3-pound brown plush toy with tiny horns. Who would’ve thought? >>
<< That is not fair, Dascha. It was a shock for them, and I think they did pretty well. >>
<< I suppose you’re correct. However, it still reminds me of the story of the elephant and the mouse... >>
Chapter 15 – Show Time
Zhanna felt like she was about to throw up. Her stomach was repeatedly clenching, and intense waves of nausea made it impossible for her to concentrate on anything specific. Her mind skittered from one subject to another, and she saw things in flashes of glaring spotlights. Just an hour or so ago she had been calm and relaxed, sitting at the table and listening to the new members of her group being briefed.
It was apparent that the mercenaries knew what they were doing. Their questions were clearly stated, and none of the men required extensive explanations. Every once in a while, Zhanna would see a strange expression wash over one of their faces as they were realized that they were talking to some of their childhood fairytales, the Hidden Folk. Most of them seemed able to deal with Noma and his mate Tisha, but all of them had definite problems even looking at Saroc. His six-legged form and amphibian-looking skin seemed to throw them off. The small male was amused and kindhearted. He kept quiet as they got used to him, seldom volunteering anything. Lending his presence as unobtrusively as possible, he sat motionless next to Dascha for most of the meeting.
Zhanna was amused again at the way Saroc’s long fingers automatically found her Familiar’s coat, grooming the black cat without conscious decision. Dascha’s purr, audible to everyone in the room, helped the mercenaries feel more comfortable with Saroc, but the young Witch knew that it would take time for understanding to calm their discomfort.
The other Hidden Folk in their group did not seem to uns
ettle the mercs as much as Saroc did. Dulam, with his appearance of a cross between a squirrel and a rabbit, was similar enough to the usual animals that ran through the forest that none of the men had problems looking at him. Frasch, Dulam’s even tinier rider, was cute and furred. Her petite size and cute face let the men fool themselves into thinking that she was no threat. It was only the amphibian with his bald head and green, mottled skin that frightened them at a level that they could not acknowledge.
Zhanna was amused, realizing that as tough as these guys purported to be, they were squeamish. Luckily, that discomfort did not affect their professionalism. The briefing had gone well, and she thought the entire team had a proper appreciation of what they would be facing when they got to their destination. After the first shock, the human warriors seemed to be able to accept the Hidden Folk as team members, listening with focused attention.
There was something surpassingly strange about the whole tableau. The young Witch watched the interaction among the groups and was amazed at how well they were integrating. Knowing that all of these Hidden ones were aliens that had slipped through a dimensional door to Earth, the fact that the Russian mercenaries could accept them as fairytales come to life was an incredible testament to the adaptability of the human mind.
A knock on the door announced that it was now time for Vadim’s street drama to begin. Taking a deep breath, the young Witch gathered up her belongings and her troops. Time to set out on the next stage of her campaign.
Walking through the hallway toward the front of the store, Zhanna was conscious of the feeling of an irrevocable moment approaching, like a step through a one-way door. She knew that the next hour would change the course of her life, and possibly the paths of many other lives.
The hours of discussion that she had with her grandmother, with Stefan and Mikhail, and the interaction with her ghostly mentors in Blagogarsk collided in a cataclysm of creative force, sending shockwaves through her head. Out of the violence of that smashing mental explosion emerged the rising shape of the future, her future. The reborn covenant of the Russian Witch covens sprang into existence as she stood frozen in discovery.
