by E R Landron
One of the men notices me and does a hand gesture to another. Shit. The men are suited and with a gun in hand. I start shaking as if I’m a hooded club goer. I don’t think they will be stupid enough. I keep my eyes on their automatic rifles. "Mam? You can't be here, there's a fire on the building". I keep shaking without doing any other movement. Another security guard goes to my side. I hear the splashing of the footsteps, and I listen with precaution. He takes me by the hand. I shake more. This is going to get ugly. "Calm down mam, we just need you to go outside.": he says. I nod and cooperate with him and starts to move. A third security man watches me attentive. I look down. "Wait a minute?": the security man says. "She looks like the one Ripa is looking for." he continues. The man holding me removes my hood entirely and as he is finishing I strike him in the throat sending him to the floor immediately. The second guard is at arm’s length and as he is reacting I give him a kick in the face and start to run.
Some of the men aim their gun at me. Bullets fly as I jump behind the bar. Glasses and bottles explode with alcohol pouring to the bar top and floor. It looks like a 4th of July but with bullets, liquid and glasses bursting all over. The bullets seize. Some mirrors at the top and I can watch them. They don’t look up. The men rush to the bar. One of the men leans and looks over the bar. Broken glass, liquid is on the floor along some of my clothing. He raises his head and shakes his head. “Noting just some clothing and liquid!”, he yells. The men are baffled. I smirk. I’m dope at hiding man. They keep searching. Some quick feet. I turned into a cat. I jump on one of the security men, landing on his hand with my claws. The man screams in agony while his finger pulls the trigger firing and hitting two of the security guards. "She turned to a cat": one screams. The guards shoot at me. I twist and turn the security guards body. He shields me from the bullets. The men begin changing their hands to claws, spikes, and swords. Shit. Kumoris. They are Ripa’s men after all. They chase me. I continue to run as something dropping. I try to lose them. The club doesn’t help. I’m cornered. "You are making this harder on yourself sweetie.": says a kumori. I turn. He starts to form shadow knives. I turn back to human form quickly covering my breasts. The man licks his lips and gives me creepy smile as he looks at me from head to toes. "Sorry I can't knock your socks out! Boss’s order." He lifts his hands but quickly they fall as Ezequiel is behind him. His shadow knives disappear as Ezequiel removes the dagger from his head. The club now has all the other security guards lifeless lying around.
“I thought you were faster.”, I say.
“I thought you were stealthier.”, Zeek answers.
The bodies of the men begin to decay. They look freshly gooey. I go back to the bar and dress.
“Newborns.”, says Zeek.
“I bet Ripa kills off anyone failing him instantly. He must recruit constantly.”
I put the Bluetooth and press the button.
“Miss detective we have the floor. What now?”, I say.
“Good, you're alive. Heard the gunshots. You guys good?”, says Mieke.
The club looks messed up with bullets plastered through it. Lights flash on and off, shatter crystals, tables turned. Ten gooey decaying bodies on the floor and alcohol still pouring to the floor from the broken bottles.
“No sweat!”, I say.
“There’s no other option than to check the right hall you mentioned. I’ve been checking the schematics, and nothing has come up. If it’s done illegal, it wouldn’t surprise as money talks.”
Zeek and me head there and see the elevator but no buttons just a key hole. I raise my brow. Zeek looks confused. He’s watching everything trying to figure out what going on. "One of them must have a key!", I shout. I check one of the security men's pockets and feel some keys. "Got ‘em!" I say. I head to the elevator again. Keys on the keyhole one by one verifying witch enters and turns until one goes smoothly. I twist it, and the lights turn red. Zeek enters the elevator, and the door closes. The elevator heads down. He looks confused. Static on the Bluetooth.
“Detective? Mieke? Pig? I think we lost her?”, I say.
“How so?”, he says.
“Bad connection.”
Ezequiel looks confused.
“The earpiece we have does not work if we are too far from the receiver … too far from Mieke.”
Ezequiel did not understand yet he looks anxious.
“What’s wrong man?”, I ask.
“I feel uncomfortable in this. Also, Stupid. Uncomfortable and stupid I feel.”
He starts taking off the backpack. Hoodie. Oh, his pants.
“Dude I barely know ya. And we are on a rescuing mission. C’mon!”, I whine.
He ignores me and continues stripping. He was down to just some gold rings in his arms and some big arm bracelets that almost covered his forearms with silver, gold and some ancient emblems on it. I give a few stares from the side. I know my cheeks are red, but it wouldn't go noticed as the elevator's light are already red. He had a linen skirt and took out some old sandals from the book bag he has. A dagger hangs from his right calf. He’s kinda good looking.
“So Egyptian, you? Now, you look like you’re going to a Halloween party.”, I say.
“I feel comfortable now. Plus, now it feels like I'm completing my purpose and keep safe the orb.”
“You said it will make him a god. How so?”
“The orb leads to the body of one of the twelve.”
“One of the what now?”
“You’re young.”
“Hey! I want to make things better man. I failed. I have a lot to learn! Go easy on me man.”
He sighs.
“The twelve are the first of our kind. One taste of their blood will multiply their powers. Imagine me evil with more powers.”
“But how's that possible? Wouldn't they be a pile of ash now.”
“They’re casket is indestructible. They have to be killed off by a powerful being. Until then they keep on the eternal slumber until awaken. If awaken and not killed, they will walk the Earth again. Not everyone in the twelve is good.”
I lower my head and sigh.
“Look man. I want to apologize. What I did, could affect everything now.”
“No need to apologize for habibi. What is important is to complete my mission. Your world today has more trouble than to add more. People are killing over politics and religion before only vampires did that. The thirst for power and money has turned everyone into animals.”
“Hey Zeek. Sorry to burst your bubble. But we are.”
“No. We are better. The humans are better too. I bet your sadness is because you lost hope on someone. A lover. Family. I lost everything. I lost the woman I loved and slept for many years paying the price for not being focused. Love blinded me. My mission should always be first, and when I dominate protecting the orb, I will try to make peace and give love a second chance.”
I feel bad now. My family. I did lose hope for them when mom defended my stepdad before me and my brothers. I clench my fist. He’s right though. I can’t live like this. I need to forgive them. Forgive mom. She brought me to the world. I sigh. I feel clear for the first time in years. I need to help this man with his mission. I miss mom... so... so much. I need her warmth. I need to feel her. I open my hands calmer.
“Zeek...?”
“Yes?”
“I got you, man. I will fight for you. You got my word.”
Ezequiel smiles for the first time to me. I return the smiled.
MIEKE Night - Bloody Mary Club, 12:45 PM
Overseeing the nightclub a few blocks back, I hope I don’t be that suspicious. Van is tinted, and tag is clean. Two laptops, one with schematics of the Bloody Mary Club and the other tracking for other activities nearby. The screen is split into multiple security cameras that I managed to hack. No coms have reported a disturbance at the club. It seems impossible that by this time not a single firetruck has appeared. Not even police. They must have everyone by th
e balls. There’s still a crowd on the entrance on the club arguing with whom I think is the club manager and security men. Everyone soaking wet. The man who appears to be the manager is pointing out at the fumes from the club. The smoke bombs should be out any second now. I do search on Ripa. All the information was given by Hannah. I clench my fist. Not an answer. Must be an alias. Dark web maybe? I check the Bluetooth piece and the walkie-talkie. I know I won't get a response from Ezequiel. At least they are both together. I can't expect much from a man over three thousand years to know how to use technology. A static comes from the Bluetooth.
“Hannah? Hannah? Do you hear me? Hannah?”
More static is heard. I try the walkie. Nothing. She said elevator, maybe connection got cut off. But elevator to where? There are no buildings nearby. The closest is like a block maybe more away. Underground? I can see the building from here if they are connected, it must be a massive tunnel between those buildings. Illegal. Out of the public view and if so the club must be a face to explain the money they generate. In another scenario, I will be leading this mission, and this is out of my territory. I'm helping three unknowns get this orb which people are dying for it. But my gut is telling me I'm doing the right thing. I think... I know I'm doing the right thing although I'm way out of my comfort zone. I hope the coms get back on. Comfort zone or not I need to feel a little bit of control.
A beep sounds on the computer, and I tap quickly. It accesses a traffic camera, and it looks like a bigger van is speeding. It's far away from the van. Will it go to the club? I hold my breath until the van comes to a halt a few blocks. It stops next to the tallest building nearby. Could it be? They are connected? I quickly tap the computer to change camera views. Sweat starts to build in my forehead. I wipe it off. Got the camera angle I want. From the van, many men in tactical gear are getting out with machine guns. They are on formation and doing hand signals not using their coms or talking whatsoever. Military? Swat? There's no dispatch info whatsoever. The men enter the building. I sigh deeply and starts taping the bottom part of the laptop continuingly not hitting any keys. Think Mieke, think! I nibble multiple times my left index finger. Fuck it! I’m going to go in! I get up and put on a Kevlar body armor. On my left thigh two extendable batons and a dart gun. On the right thigh a mini machine gun. On my back two guns and on the right boot a minigun. I take a machine gun with a pistol brace that attaches it into my forearm. That will make the gun not fly away if somebody pushes me. Forgot how heavy lots of weapons felt like. I take the wheel and drive closer to the building. There's no point calling for backup.
I get out of the van and jog towards the van that had the tactical team. One man close to the entrance of the building stands guard in his tactical. Strike in the face the only option at the moment. I get to the edge of another building. The man is passing back and forth attentive. A small rock on the floor. Grab it and throw it close to the van. The sound catches his attention. He jumps. He goes to investigate gun in front ready to fire. I walk stealthily behind him. My boots make a sound making him flinch and looking back, but he's received by a slashing movement of the machine gun. I kick him in the face as a precaution. He’s unconscious. “Didn't expect that did you?”, I whisper. I tap the man in the pockets of his body armor and finds strip laces. I tie his hands on the back and his feet to the rims of the van. I recheck the man. Looks pretty human to me. I take out far from him anything that could help him break free. Coms, weapons, knife.
I get near the entrance. Two security guards. They were all covered. Suits are not the same though. I'll just go in. It will give me a second to make them think, and they'll be down before they know it. I go to the entrance, and the security guards see me in my tactical outfit. It takes a second to notice is not the same as the ones who enter previously. Hesitation on their part. As they react my dart gun aims. The machine gun moves and locks backward in the back of my forearm. Two shots both in their necks. No time to draw their weapons. Stun. One fell. The other one dances fighting the inevitable. He hits his face hard on the floor. Night, night boys! I tie them back to back, hand to hand and feet to feet together. Standard entrance looks luxurious. Elevators on the back of the security guards. Let's see the cameras. Too many cameras. A tactical team is talking to some men that look like the shadow manipulators we encountered a few days ago. Shit! It's all connected then. One of the walkie-talkies of the security guards went off: "The cat girl and an unknown male are on the building on the basement floors. They are heading to the main building. Shoot to kill! I repeat shoot to kill!" The men stop talking and run in different points of views of different cameras. I let out a deep sigh. These people must have tons of money and resources. Going all this trouble for two people… or vampires and an orb? If is as important as they say then I can put my worries of what I know about Hannah, Ezequiel and Kokolite away... and start kicking ass. Welcome to the jungle bitch!
HANNAH Night - Ripa's Building 6th floor, 1:30 AM
After the club, we got to an endless hall. Zeek and I mount another elevator. Got to the main floor of the big building nearby. I remembered the entrance. Beautiful décor. After five stories searching for Kokolite, we got into some a pickle in two floors already. The door opens, but we stay for a moment there. At the side of it, there's a big metal 6 on the wall. Our clothes are dirty, and some of mine is ripped. I wipe some blood from my lip while touching my left ribs. Since Ezequiel heals faster than me, his skin looks flawless and even shinning as the light hits him.
“You will heal soon mau.”, he says.
“You are annoying. By the way, since we are fighting together, won't I know your clan origin. Powers?”
“Another time child let's move.”
I roll my eyes. As we enter the hallway, we are welcome by flying bullets. The loud bangs cause me to cover my ears. Blood spills from Ezequiel. He makes a gesture to calm down. The bullets stop. He does another gesture swiping his finger side on his neck that left me confused. Ezequiel walks outside the elevator. “Wait, wait, wait, what are you doing!”, I scream. As he steps outside the elevator doors, bullets fly hitting him again and a huge BANG! echoes through the whole elevator and halls. That must have been a huge gun. Ezequiel lands on the floor with blood all over. I open my eyes widely. I can't believe what just happened. I can’t breathe. My head is dizzy. The juggernaut, the vampire who lived, blunt hits, chain hits, bullet wounds, grenades are lying in the floor. He does not look like he is breathing. "It's just you missy. It will be over soon!", a tactical soldier screams.
My eyes tear up. Are those special bullets? I tremble. Zeek! Zeeeeeek, I call for him in a low voice but trying to be as loud as possible. No answer. “C’mon missy, the boys here are waiting for a beer, and we had a bet that this would be over before dawn! the same soldier yells. I’m panting, and sweat is forming in my forehead. What the hell man? Why the hell? I begin to take off my cloth. My skin is getting fury. My teeth are getting smaller and sharper. I’m getting smaller. Everytime I turn it hurts. This time less. I put my hands in the floor as my whole body finishes turning into a cat. I take a breath.
“Come out! You don't want us to get you huh?”, says the soldier.
I sprint quickly and jump on a wall from the entrance and immediately jumps to another. The bullets start to fly fast again. “Cat! She turned into a cat!”, a male voice yells between the armada firing. The sound is giving me a massive headache. I continue trying to get to the men shooting. I’m barely dodging the bullets. The walls, the decor, even the lights are being shattered, damaged by all the bullets crashing everywhere. I dodge to an opening next to a fire extinguisher, just leaving a small part of wall to cover me. I’m hyperventilating. I can't escape! I'm cornered!
“Missy! We will give you one last chance to get out. Two steps and we will blaze you to hell. I'll count down to five. We promise to make this quick!”
I look upwards. Downwards. Where can I move next? "One Mississippi!" he shouts. I don't know how many they are, I couldn't
see, I couldn't see! I panic. My hands keep trembling. I felt so confident a few seconds ago. I felt so safe with Ezequiel by my side. "Two Mississippi!" he shouts again. Now he’s gone. If I go back, they'll know more or less how I move now. “Three Mississippi!”, he continues. I tense up to make a run for it. I’m still deciding to move towards them or back to the elevator. "Four Mississippi!" he screams almost with pleasure. Fight I will! I’ll jump to their direction and take out as many as I can. My heart accelerates. I jump on the wall in front of me and land on the floor. My jaw drops. Ezequiel is choking the soldier that was screaming, and six other men are on the floor. The soldier falls like a ragdoll. I’m panting heavily still astonished at the sight. I was going out fighting in my mind, and the brute decided to finish it all by himself.
“You, idiot!”, I scream.
“Al’abalah?”, he says.
“What?”
“You call me idiot.”
“I should call you sharmuta.”
“Ah… So you know Arab.”
I ran back to get my cloth and dress up. I turn to him for second and hiss at him still in cat form.
“You look funny arguing like a mau.”
I scoff while giving him the finger.
“Next time tell me what you are going to do, will you?”, I yell.
“I did, I did the I'll be dead thing with the finger.”
“You be dead? You be dead…? You are a piece of work! You know that?”
“No, no, no, no, no, no… it is I dead you work to distract them.”
“Shut up!”
Ezequiel turns around to let me transform and dress. I keep mumbling. I so want to punch him in the face! At least he’s alive. Thank God.
MIEKE Night - Ripa’s Building 9th floor, 1:45 PM
I move slowly into the hall. I let go of a door with "EXIT" on it. On end, there’s an elevator and a nine in metal. I should of cross them by now. Something is not right. I keep a steady pace one foot in front of the other trying to hear if there's any sign of movement. I am sweating. Stairs look clean. Some shots echo from the elevator. I stop and grasp tighter the gun. Can't quite tell if it's from above or below. Some steps are coming my way. That sounds near. Two men run towards me with tactical gear. I shoot at one in the knee making him fall instantly, and a scream of agony mutes him as he’s hitting the floor. I aim towards the other one, but he's too close. I barely dodge him as I squint awaiting impact. Where the fuck they came from? The tall, muscular man evades hitting the elevator door as he stops quickly. The brute grabs my gun with his left hand and raises it while it is still attached to me. He grabs my neck with his other hand and sends me flying to the wall. The hit alone almost made me black out. The huge man grabs the machine gun's attachment and strips it apart. Tugging part of the skin. I scream as pain shoots my nervous system. I roll to the side trying to figure out what to do next. I raise my hands, ready for a fight and take deep breathes. My right forearm is burning. I was worried about vampires, and this colossus of a guy is the one besting me. The aching sensation is causing my arm to tremble. We square off. I look at the side of my eyes seeing the other soldier still wounded on the floor rubbing his knee in agony. The brute gives a vague laugh almost saying: "You can't win." He puts his big hands in front, to watch the distance between us. He runs towards me. I dodge a bit easier this time and land a kick to his belly. Didn't even flinch. He changes his stance more as a kickboxer. He is slowly gaining distance maintaining his left hand in front. He jabs with his left missing and continues to strike, missing again. I throw down my hands as a distraction, he falls for it and when he reacts I uppercut him and gives him a back kick to his waist that made him lower his upper body. I jump, grab him by the back of his neck and knee his face. I’m sure with all the force his brain will come out of the other side. Before I get to move aside, he grabs me by the waist and runs forward slamming me to the wall again. I hear a weird sound coming from my voice as all the air leaves me. My vision blurs while a shot of blood comes from my mouth landing on the man's face who barely got a black eye from the knee. I panic. He quickly grabs me by my throat and lifts me above him. His ginormous hands cover my whole neck and part of my face. The air goes fast. I reach with all my strength one of the batons and extend it quickly landing a quick blow to the man. He flinches. I switch the baton from hand and reach for the other. Extend it as well and with all the strength I got left I lift one of the batons again. "Arghhhhh!" I scream as I land blow after blow. The man slowly falls to the floor. His whole face was starting to swell as cuts, bruises, and his left eyed shuts. He is still breathing heavily in front of me. Fall motherfucker! I hit the man with the baton straight in his neck making the man gargle and choke on his own blood, and his windpipe completely shut down. He falls abruptly eyes open. He’s dead. He’s dead. I fall to the floor. The batons roll over my hands from exhaustion. My breaths are deep, one behind the other. I touch my lip and flinch. Cut maybe. I must have hit the brute's head while landing. After a long minute, I stand. I grab my bruised ribs and get up. Almost. As I regain composure a gun cocks. The other soldier was standing as well. He’s aiming his gun. I look down the barrel, waiting for the man to pull the trigger. Damn it! I press my lips and raise my hands. I remember how many times I’ve been at harm's way and always escaped. Nausea is what I feel. I always make sure the enemy is put down, and I left this one be. Admits the situation I had to deal with the massive mountain of a person. Now my life is at the mercy of the wounded soldier's finger. I concentrate on my breathing and close my eyes. A gunshot went off. I flinch. For a moment all sound faded off. I feel like everything slowed down. This is it... Diane! I wish you well! I love… what? I open my eyes slowly. No pain? I pat my body verifying for any open wound. I raise my head slowly. I hold my breath.
