Incubus Inc

by Randi Darren

  “What are you up to after this?” he asked, feeling suddenly in the mood for some Were. “Got any lunch plans?”

  Tiffany eyed him for several seconds, then smiled at him, exposing her bright white teeth. “I was going to spar a bit with anyone willing. Care to go a round or two with me, then have lunch?”

  Sam wanted to decline. He had no desire to fight unless he had to.

  Then he stopped.

  Tiffany had told him what she wanted, and she’d also clearly taken into account what he wanted.

  Why couldn’t he meet her in the middle?

  “Sure, why not?” Sam said. “Let’s go.”

  Thirty-One - Mission Start -

  The whole vehicle bounced, and everything tilted wildly to one side before righting itself.

  “The shit, Tiff?” said Wren. “You aiming for every goddamn shrub and hole?”

  “No. If I was, I’d park this fucker in your gaping asshole. Why? You wanna drive, you big dumb fucker?” Tiffany asked in a growl. “Cause I’m pretty sure no one volunteered, so I did it.”

  Wren didn’t say anything to that.

  Truth be told, Tiffany wasn’t wrong. No one had wanted to drive the massive, military-designed, six-wheeled truck-like vehicle she’d gotten.

  Where she’d gotten it, she didn’t say and no one asked. Tiffany had her connections to the gunrunner world, and apparently that included being able to get a hold of military surplus.

  “This is not that bad,” Decima said, sitting in her bench seat, strapped in, and looking for all the world like she was enjoying a nap. “Attempting to hold on to a dragon after you’ve pulled out one of its eyes… now that is a terrible ride.”

  “A dragon?” Hillary asked, pulling at the Kevlar vest she was wearing.

  “Indeed, it was a red,” Decima said. “A very violent and terrible red. It had been running loose in the countryside for the better part of a year. I’d been on assignment in the Iberian Peninsula for the church. The king asked me to take care of it.”

  “Before anyone asks,” Sam said. “Yes, she really did, and no, it was neither the first nor the last. Humans can accomplish great things. Dragons today are rather solitary and typically live in the wilderness by themselves in the guise of a human.”

  “Any chance I could talk you into fighting Tiffany for control over the music, Decima?” Irene asked, tapping her fingers along her knees. “I think three hours of country music is three hours too much.”

  “I kinda like it,” Hillary offered.

  “Considering you subjected us to young girls singing about boys, cars, and parties from the airport to the hotel,” Carissa said, “I’m not surprised that you would enjoy country.”

  “This is better than what Hillary had on,” Stacia said, leaning forward out of her seat. She was holding her hands up in front of herself. She’d been working a blood mage spell the entire time they’d been driving. “Though not by a lot.”

  “It sounds like the wailing of a beta male lamenting all the idiocy of his life and how he cannot fathom what he did to deserve it,” Decima said. “Is all country such?”

  “No, Tiff just has a soft spot for this kind of stuff,” Wren grumbled. “Gets worse when she drinks.”

  “Okay, shut the fuck up and enjoy it. Or one of you can fucking drive,” Tiffany said. “Driver picks the music, remember? And this is the only CD I brought, so fuck off.”

  Lifting a hand, Sam stuck a finger into his ear and wriggled it around. He’d been hearing a soft buzzing noise for the last hour that he couldn’t shake.

  Pushing his hat and the attached comm gear to one side, Sam scratched at his temple. The sound slowly faded a bit.

  Happy with that result, Sam turned to Jes beside him and smiled at her.

  “Is this what you were expecting and hoping for?” Sam asked as softly as he could.

  Jes was dressed like everyone else. Kevlar armor, a vest filled with magazines, grenades, and other military needs, and a weapon across her knees.

  She looked like a sex goddess gone to war.

  “Yes,” Jes said in a whisper, her smile wide from ear to ear. “They bicker and fight, but you can see it. They’re all… bonding. We’re forming a team. Isn’t that exciting?”

  “Suppose so,” Sam said, looking back at the rest of the group. They were still talking, though it sounded like the conversation had drifted toward some television show. “Then again, I thought I’d just happily go from young woman to young woman, having my fill and moving on.”

  “Don’t be a fuddy-duddy,” Jes said, setting a hand on his knee. “That sounds rather lonely, if you ask me. This is much more exciting.”

  “Oh, yes. Because firefights, violence, and possibly getting killed is far more enjoyable to sex and lounging around, then having more sex,” Sam said.

  Jes made a clucking sound with her tongue and patted Sam’s cheek.

  “You’ll see. Besides, we’re hitting Jena at the same time,” she said. “You were rather excited about that.”

  “I still am, I just… have a weird feeling about this,” Sam said.

  “It’ll be fine. You’ll see,” Jes said.

  “Hey! I think I see the road we’re looking for!” Tiffany shouted from up front.

  “How can you tell? It’s just all trees, vines, and bushes,” Irene asked.

  “GPS locater,” Tiffany said, holding up a small device that looked like a walkie-talkie.

  “Pull us off to the side,” Wren said, then racked her assault rifle. “And get ready. From here on out, we’re in their territory.”

  The mood changed immediately with that statement. All around, people began chambering rounds and checking sidearms.

  Sam could feel it when Tiffany started applying the brakes. Shuddering, the truck came to a stop.

  Decima was the first one out, moving swiftly and smoothly.

  One by one, everyone else began filing out.

  By the time Sam hit the ground, everyone was securing the area, or setting up. Hillary was off to one side, already working the radio she was responsible for. If she wasn’t available, her backup was Irene.

  Ignoring everything, Sam stretched his shoulders. Then, realizing he could, he brought his wings into reality.

  Lifting them up and behind him, he extended them to their fullest.

  He could feel the most subtle of breezes, but there was very little airflow. The forests around them did a great job of blocking all that out.

  It was also extremely dark. They’d been moving during the night so they could attack during the day.

  There was no sense in attacking vampires at night if they didn’t have to.

  I don’t think I’ve been in South America in a long time.

  Then again, I was considerably more popular down here before the Spanish showed up.

  Giving himself a full-body shake, Sam brought his wings back in. When he looked to his side, he saw Jes doing the exact same thing.

  “Alright,” Decima said, moving to the truck bed. “Five minutes to vacate your internals, ten minutes for a bite of something. Get to it or don’t. Just don’t let me hear you complaining about it later. Grab a box from the truck, pull it out, then get to your needs.”

  The witch hunter started hauling crates and things out and setting them off to one side.

  Slowly, the buzzing noise Sam had been hearing returned. Except now, without the music to mask it, he could hear it wasn’t exactly a buzzing noise.

  Truth be told, it wasn’t something he could hear at all. It was more of a sensation. One he always got when the higher planes were paying attention to him.

  Feeling a rising sent of panic, Sam decided it would be better to just check.

  See who was calling.

  He moved off to one side, acting as if he was going to relieve himself, then began to push his consciousness higher. Or at least, that was the way he thought about it.

  Essentially, he was opening himself up to receive information from other planes whi
le remaining on this plane.

  No sooner had his mind reached up into the higher planes, he got his answer.

  “Hello, Torment of Lust,” said a sweet female voice to Sam’s consciousness. “I never thought you’d come back.”

  Sam couldn’t place the owner. It was someone he’d never spoken with before. Though they knew who he was.

  “Hello,” Sam said in the same way. “I’m sorry, I don’t have a memory of your voice. Nor are you projecting an image. Have we met before?”

  “No, we haven’t,” said the woman. “But I know you. I heard about you from the others.”

  “Ah, the Higher Plane yet then remains,” Sam said. This would be a good opportunity to see if he could call in a few favors he’d thought lost. Most especially a favor to get Decima overlooked. “How’s Horatio?”

  “Dead,” said the voice.

  “What? How?” Sam asked. He hadn’t thought it possible to kill someone on the higher planes.

  “I killed him,” said the woman. “I killed everyone. They annoyed me. They didn’t understand when I told them the truth.”

  I… what? She killed them?

  “I’m sorry, what’s… your name again?” Sam asked.

  “I never gave it,” said the woman.

  Frowning, Sam didn’t know what to say or do now. Whatever had happened on the higher planes, it had clearly been cataclysmic. Even at the height of his power, Sam couldn’t have challenged a higher-plane being for long. Because the rest would of dogpiled him and that’d be the end of it.

  “What can I do for you?” Sam asked, deciding to take that route instead.

  “Smart boy,” said the woman. “Nothing, actually. I was just curious, so I was watching you. You leave large ripples in the plane. Like a stone hitting water. I didn’t think you could reach out to me as you did, though. That was a surprise.”

  “Ah, yes, well,” Sam said, wishing he’d never even tried to do this. Wishing he’d never made contact with this being. “I’ll leave you be then.”

  “Alright. I’ll be watching,” said the voice. “Be a good boy. Don’t violate the higher-plane laws. I don’t have the time to kill you correctly, so I’d end up just disintegrating you completely.”

  Shit. Alright.

  Need to warn everyone about the portals then.

  Quickly disconnecting himself, Sam fled down back into his body. After relieving himself in the bushes, Sam came back to where everyone else was.

  “Sam, can I have a nip?” Stacia asked, walking right up to him. “I could use a little recharge. I’m hungry, and I’ve been running that spell all day.”

  “Oh. Yeah, sure, no worries,” Sam said. Moving over to one of the empty crates, he sat down on it. Stacia moved up behind him and knelt down there. Her body pressed against his, with her knees on either side of him.

  He felt her mouth close on his neck, then the sharp pricks of her teeth. Her arms slowly slid around his shoulders and held to him.

  Sitting there, Sam waited quietly and patiently. Everyone was going about their business in one way or another.

  “Two minutes,” Decima stated, walking over to an unfolded table. Her vest, gear, and weaponry all bore purity seals.

  Small ribbons to instill accuracy or strength.

  Even the rapier belted at her waist, which she insisted on having, had several seals on it. Chief amongst them was a purity seal integrated in the pommel.

  I don’t remember anyone making her the lead on this, but at the same time, she’s good at it.

  Then again, it’s not as if she hasn’t run things like this before for the church.

  Stacia shifted against his back, then lifted her head from his throat. Running her tongue over the wound, she gave it a light pat with her fingers.

  “Thanks, Sam,” Stacia said. “I really needed that.”

  “Of course. It isn’t as if you don’t let me feed whenever I want. How could I not give you the same courtesy?” Sam asked. He genuinely felt that way as well.

  Stacia never turned him away, for any reason. If he came to her in hunger, she always fed him till he was satiated. Repeatedly, often, and at any time of the day or night.

  “I’m glad we share that between us,” Stacia said, getting down from the crate and laying a hand on his foot. “We eat differently, but we share a unique need. It’s… rather nice.”

  Sam couldn’t disagree. It was nice. He and Stacia were kindred, in a way.

  Leaning up against the crate and Sam’s knee, Stacia got comfortable. Apparently she planned to stay right there.

  Slowly, everyone came over and circled up around Decima and the table. A large map inside a plastic sheath had been laid out.

  “Quick recap, and then we go,” Decima said.

  “This is like the tenth recap,” Tiffany said, standing near Wren and Irene.

  “And we’ll have another, if I think we need to,” Decima said. “Unless you can tell me verbatim what everyone is expected to do?”

  Tiffany winced at that, then made a ‘continue’ gesture with her hand. “Sorry. Please keep going. You’re right.”

  Decima stared at Tiffany, apparently unable to process what’d just been said.

  “Thank you,” said the witch hunter finally, and then she looked back to the map. “Carissa, Stacia, Hillary, Sam, and I will go to the first target, the guard station.”

  Decima slid a finger from the point they were at now to where the guard station was.

  “Hillary will attempt to infiltrate and determine what she can do on her own,” Decima said. “Sam and I will wait for an opportunity to present itself, depending on what Hillary relays back to us. Stacia will be acting as our concealer just in case someone’s watching.”

  Collective heads nodded at that.

  “Once we secure the guard station, Carissa can move up to the hill over here,” Decima said, moving her finger across the map. “She’ll provide overwatch on the main compound and approach. By that point, the sun should be rising and the Black-kin will seek shelter and sleep.”

  Once more, everyone nodded their heads.

  “That said, Carissa, your orders remain as they were,” Decima said, looking at the Cyclopian freedom fighter turned policewoman, then mercenary. “When given the go-ahead, exterminate enemies at your discretion, reposition as needed, and flee when necessary.”

  “Retreat,” Wren said. “Or extract.”

  “What?” Decima asked, looking at the big Cambion.

  “We don’t flee. We extract or retreat,” Wren said.

  Decima blinked slowly, then looked back to Carissa. “Understood?”

  “Yes,” Carissa said. “Shouldn’t be an issue.”

  “For the rest of you, you’re in reserve. Build the base camp and sleep. We’ll contact Irene on the radio when we’re ready to move to the next phase. We’ll have a recap for that part of the plan then,” Decima said. “Questions? Concerns?”

  Everyone shook their heads in the negative.

  “We’ll move on foot to our position and go from there,” Decima said, swinging her rifle down from her shoulder and up into her hands. “May we walk with determination, purity of mind, and the resolve to succeed.”

  Sam pulled the handgun at his side from its holster. Thumbing the safety off, he chambered a round. He could use it—and do a fair job of it.

  But he didn’t much care for it.

  He was an Essence sorcerer and a swordsman at best.

  With people like Decima running around, he’d trained often enough that he could easily be what one would consider a master of the sword. Though it was more of a mash of styles that became “what kills the best” rather than any one style. Decima was a trained and sculpted swordswoman.

  Decima set off, and everyone in the first contact group left with her. Stacia was once again running a small spell that would disguise any noises they made as well as hide their presence if anyone happened to see them.

  It was one of the reasons they were so confident with thei
r ability to get so close in the truck. Irene would be responsible for shielding the camp while Stacia was away.

  “Just a walk through the woods,” Stacia said. “With a witch hunter as our mission leader. And on top of that, I have to survive in pure, unfiltered sunshine by the grace of my Incubus lover. I’m really starting to think perhaps I should have left well enough alone.”

  “You were rather persistent,” Sam muttered. “And what are you complaining about? Decima is leading the operation, but you’re the one who put the plan together. Aren’t you?”

  “I mean… I helped. Decima, Carissa, and Irma assembled everything,” Stacia said.

  “She made the plan, we tweaked it,” Decima said. “She even went so far as to suggest I lead it.”

  Sam raised his eyebrows at that and looked to Stacia.

  “What? None of us have experience with fighting Vampires. Not even me,” Stacia said.

  “You’re a damn house pet of a Vampire,” Decima said. “I’m surprised an elder Vampire didn’t turn you into a wineskin just for a snack.”

  “Ah… I didn’t know Vampires could drink other Vampires until Sam mentioned it,” Stacia said. “I think… as far as my kind of Vampire goes, in the states, that isn’t common knowledge anymore.”

  Decima shook her head with a growl.

  “The world went and got itself neutered, and I’m not sure if it’s for the better or the worse,” she said.

  “A lot more government,” Sam said. “And a lot more ‘guards’ I would say. With safety and security came ignorance.”

  “No wonder your little pet monster took over and made a kingdom for herself,” Decima said. “Was never anything good about her back then, and it’s unsurprising what she did now. You’re probably the only person who saw her as anything other than a snake.”

  Sam sighed and looked off to one side.

  “I swear it’s as if—”

  “Shut up,” Hillary spat out, interrupting Decima.

  “Stop it,” Stacia said at the same time.

  Decima glared at the two women over her shoulder, then looked forward again without a word.

  As he looked at the two women walking beside him, Sam was grateful for their defense of him. But there was a problem.