Rasputin's Prodigy

by Michael Weinberger

  All he had to do was get away with the girl Lei, and they all would just let him leave. He had exploited the American's weakness of sentimentality before, and there was no reason why it could not serve him again. Dimitri entered the warehouse, freezing in place when he saw only a puddle of blood where he had left the American, Steve Jacobs, lying dead. After running a person through with his sword, Dimitri expected death to follow. A sickening realization made his eyes dart to the ceiling, where he saw only the empty chains where his hostage had been suspended.

  Desperately he scanned the warehouse and saw something move near the control switch for the winch that had raised Lei into the rafters. Quickly, and with his gun raised, he moved toward the spot, but found no sign of anything or anyone.

  It was the slight sound of someone breathing in a slight, wet, wheezing series of breaths, which were apparently more noise than could be muffled that gave her away. Dimitri turned slowly toward a crate that had been discarded in the nearby corner, and cautiously approached. He stood on his toes to peer into the crate, but found it empty. Undaunted he continued around the large crate and placed one hand on an open side. With a grunt he flung the crate away and found Pha clinging to the unmoving form of Lei as she curled into the shadows that the corner had provided.

  Dimitri raised the gun and pointed it at the child, but as he examined her face he didn't see the look of terror he had been expecting. Instead, the girl was smiling.

  “Got you,” Pha practically sang, in the way that children taunt each other. The confusion slowed time as Dimitri's brain tried to process the meaning behind the girl's words, and in that moment, Lei suddenly exploded from where she had been curled, her face a mask of rage as she snarled, flashing her teeth and leaping at Dimitri.

  Dimitri's finger squeezed the trigger, but Lei had knocked his arm away before crashing into him, the force of her attack sent the bullet wide of its intended target and the gun flying from Dimitri's hand.

  Lei bit down hard on his forearm, but released it as soon as she realized her attack hadn't reached the Ancient's throat. Dimitri tried to shift the point of his sword into a position for thrusting it through her, but the length of the blade and their bodies close proximity made it impossible. So, instead Dimitri began cutting with the edge of the blade where it had contacted Lei's torso. Feeling the edge ripping through her tattered clothes, Lei tried to shift into a position so she might grab Dimitri's sword arm, but lost her leverage on the man. Dimitri swung his free hand in an arc, catching Lei across her cheek with the back of his fist and the powerful blow knocked her away from him.

  Dimitri scrambled to his feet, getting his sword into the ready position, as Lei rose to face him as well. He attacked with a series of wild slashes that served only to make Lei retreat farther and farther away, sometimes having to roll backwards to stay outside its reach. Feigning a final slash, Dimitri suddenly stopped and pivoted as Lei began her backward roll, and he suddenly bolted toward Pha, with the intention of scooping her up as a hostage. Lei screamed as she realized what Dimitri was going to do, and she stumbled awkwardly as she tried to come out of her roll to give chase, but there was no chance of her intercepting him before he could reach the girl.

  Dimitri smiled to himself in triumph as the girl's silhouette came into view. He would get out of this yet, and he reached out with his free hand to grab the child, when in the dim lights of the shadows, he saw her spin and grab with both hands, onto something that was suspended close to her side. Something large moved in the shadows and there was a loud ratcheting sound that Dimitri recognized as he froze in surprise.

  “Nyet!” Dimitri hissed in disbelief as the object levitated closer to him and emerged from the shadows of the corner. The barrel of a shotgun slowly oozed out from the darkness followed by its grip, trigger and finally the large, bloody hand holding it.

  “Got you,” Steve sang in the same manner that Pha had moments ago as he squeezed the trigger shooting Dimitri point blank in the chest. The old man flew back from the impact, as the 00 buckshot tore into his chest, shredding his body and leaving him supine on the floor of the warehouse.

  Steve continued to emerge from the darkness as Dimitri flailed on the ground in agony. The ancient vampire managed to lift his head enough to see Steve stumble his way forward, the child Pha clutching his side and helping him move. Steve's left side was saturated with blood and his left arm hung lifelessly to one side, but his right arm held the shotgun with a strong and steady resolve. Pha was walking next to him, supporting some of his weight on his left side and, when he rotated the shotgun toward her, the child used both hands to ratchet the weapon into readiness once again.

  There was no preamble or witty remark as Steve repositioned the shotgun and fired into Dimitri's chest again. Blood exploded as the old man's body bucked from the impact.

  Lei breathed a sigh of relief as she watched, noticing that Steve's face was no longer smiling. Instead he wore a look that was eerily similar to the one Alpha wore when facing down an enemy. The look was cold, emotionless and uncompromising.

  Chapter 43

  I held the shotgun in close to my body, guessing I only had one more cartridge available before I'd need to reload the magazine. Given my injuries, I had to make sure to end this with my next shot. I had let Pha participate up to this point partially because I needed her help, but also because I wanted her to be part of the destruction of the monster that had kidnapped her, forcing her to undergo so much pain and psychological uncertainty in her tiny life. Maybe knowing she had bested her tormentor would help stave off possible nightmares in the future, but there were some things that no child should have to see, so after Pha ratcheted the shotgun again I shifted my body to shield her from what was about to happen.

  Leaning in close I said softly into her ear, “Look away, Pha.”

  She looked back up at me with eyes way too jaded for a child her age, but didn't argue as she turned her head and pressed her cheek into my side as I extended the barrel of the shotgun until the tip was just over a foot from Dimitri's head.

  Dimitri's eyes rolled up in their sockets to look at me, as he registered what I was about to do. Somehow the ancient vampire managed, in spite of the massive trauma done to his chest, to curl his lips into a snarl flashing his teeth at me in one final defiant gesture.

  I looked into eyes that had seen the rise and fall of empires, and I suddenly went cold inside as my finger hesitated on the trigger. I had a strange sensation run through me, making me feel like I was about to destroy some kind of antique or irreplaceable artifact. Then I realized that my eyes were locked with Dimitri’s and I couldn't tear my gaze away. My body began to lose the adrenaline rush that it had been running on since I had pulled the trigger the first time, as pain and fatigue began to seep back in to me. I coughed and felt a bubbly foam come up from deep in my lungs and my legs started feeling unsteady. I heard Lei call out to me, but it was like hearing someone talking under water, as I had to shift my footing to keep from falling.

  It was the sensation of Pha's arms hugging me tighter as I wobbled that brought my mind back to me. I blinked and suddenly I was looking down at the tiny figure clutching tightly at my side. She was such a strong little girl that a person could forget just how young and small she was. It was in those moments of vulnerability that children, who always want to push their individuality ever forward as they move toward adulthood, will do something to remind us just how much they are still the little ones who need adults to care, comfort and protect them.

  My eyes began to fill with tears of sorrow and rage that someone, anyone, would use a child in such a manner as Dimitri had done. I locked eyes with Dimitri again and the ancient vampire's eyes widened with fear, as the only thought that ran through me now was that the “thing” lying on the floor at my feet should have been put down a millennia ago.

  “Fuck you, old man,” I said with a quiet rage as I pulled the trigger. Dimitri's head exploded as the shot pulped bone and brain, leaving only
tatters of flesh and exposed vertebrae at the place on his neck where his head had been.

  I stared down at what was left of Dimitri Lagos and wanted to spit on his corpse. Instead my legs gave out, and it was all I could do not to fall on top of Pha, or into the gore that I had created at my feet. Lei was at my side in an instant, and kept me from crashing down and further injuring myself. I honestly don't know where she got the strength, but it was all I could do to let myself fall into her embrace as she gripped me so very tightly.

  “I think I have only one shot left in this thing.” I said as the three of us held tightly to each other, “We really should go hide in our corner again, at least until Alpha comes for us.”

  Chapter 44

  It only took about five minutes before I could hear the heavy footfalls of someone approaching. Not trusting my ability to distinguish friend from foe by the sound of their footsteps, I raised the barrel of the shotgun to cover the area in front of me. Lei and Pha were crouching behind my back in the shadows ready to move as needed, depending on what happened in the next couple of seconds.

  Hiding behind the crates I couldn't see who it might have been that was walking around but, when the sound of the footsteps stopped, it wasn't difficult to figure out that they had stopped next to Dimitri's remains.

  A voice called out in a heavy Russian accent, “Steve? Are you in here?”

  Recognition hit in an instant and I called out, “Alexei? Is that you?

  I could hear Alexei pivot toward the sound of my voice, “Da, my friend! Come out, we have won the day!”

  “Friend of yours?” Lei asked.

  I shrugged, “I think so. He's saved my life a couple days ago in any case.” To Alexei I called out, “Are we clear?”

  “Da!” I could hear Alexei begin walking toward me, “But come quickly. Your Alpha, William and Chris are all injured.”

  Upon hearing that her father, William, had been injured, Pha practically leapt from where she had been crouching and bolted out from her place in the shadows. Almost as soon as Pha disappeared around one side of the crate Alexei appeared, and immediately was kneeling at my side.

  Lei tensed, “What do you mean Alpha is injured?”

  Alexei didn't look up to face her, but instead gently pulled my shirt aside and inspected the wound that Dimitri had given me. With practiced movements Alexei's hand was in that weird messenger bag of his and removing some kind of pouch of herbs that looked like a giant tea bag. I yelped with pain as he unceremoniously pulled out the wad of my shirt that I had stuffed into the sword wound, immediately replacing it with the tea bag. Blood oozed momentarily saturating the bag, but once my blood mixed with whatever was in the bag it seemed to stop flowing out of me, not clotting exactly, as much as it just no longer leaked out from my body. By the time he was through, Lei was practically in a panic over Alpha, “What happened to Alpha?!” She insisted.

  “He was shot in the chest.” Alexei said simply and I could hear the intake of breath from Lei as she gasped. I might have gasped too, if I had been able.

  I asked stoically, “Will he live?”

  Alexei shook his head, “I don't know. They are working on him, but...”

  I frowned, “Who is working on him?”

  “My best guess would be American special forces, as there is an American in charge.”

  “An American, are you sure?”

  Alexei nodded his head, “He seems to speak Russian fluently enough, but his accent is terrible.”

  “Imagine that,” I said trying not to smile.

  Alexei seemed to grow outraged, “Indeed, it is like listening to fingernails on a chalkboard, and my ears just want to bleed with the sound.” He suddenly switched topics, “Do you think you can stand?”

  Whatever he had stuck to my chest seemed to revive me, so with Lei under one arm and Alexei holding up the other, they got me to my feet. By the time we had made it outside we could see a helicopter flying in over the forest, to land where a group of black clad soldiers had gathered. Almost as soon as the helicopter had touched down the men lifted a trio of bodies on stretchers, loading them into the helicopter. Pha followed close behind one and was hoisted up into the helicopter as well. I could see Chris, Alpha and William were all alive and being tended to by the soldiers that had loaded them on board.

  I turned to Alexei, “You are absolutely sure they are in good hands?”

  Alexei looked momentarily confused when another voice chimed in to say, “He can't, but I certainly can.”

  I tried to turn, but had to wait until Alexei helped both Lei and me stagger in a half circle, before I could see Major Robert Larson dressed in similar black combat fatigues and smiling broadly at me.

  I didn't return the smile as I faced the man, “The last time my people were treated by regular medical personnel the results had been extraordinarily bad.” Larson knew about the mass kidnapping and attempted genocide of my people after a Pharmaceutical company realized it could make billions from a medication derived from my people's blood.

  Larson raised his hands up in supplication, “Easy Steve. These are all my people and I have full and total faith in them. They will act only in the best interests of your people. Besides,” Larson looked around at the accumulation of bodies, many of whom had been brutally cleaved by Alpha's knives, smashed by William's fists or riddled with bullets from Chris’ and my weapons, “I don't think I want to chance the consequences of betraying your trust.”

  It took all I had to unhook my arms from around Lei and Alexei, but I figured that when a person wants to say something imposing, he or she had better be standing under their own power. It looks a lot less impressive if someone is holding you up at the time you are trying to influence a person with your point.

  “How is it you and the ‘cavalry' are here, now?”

  Larson smiled, “I warned you that the Russian government was aware of the warehouse and Dimitri's plans, didn't I?”

  I looked at the soldiers milling around through the bodies and moving in groups into the warehouses, “They're not Russian.”

  Larson laughed, “Oh, hell no. The Russian's are probably still in the planning stages, but it won't be long until they show up, and by the time they get here all they will find is an empty space as barren as a parking lot.”

  “So who are these guys? C.I.A.?”

  “Not exactly,” Larson said, being deliberately cryptic, “Let's just say they are ‘my’ people.”

  I was beginning to understand and volunteered, “And because the Russian military was going to move in, maybe too late to stop what was happening, you brought in ‘your’ people to contain the situation, right?”

  “Something like that, yes.”

  My legs started to wobble as my injuries began to overwhelm whatever Alexei had given me.

  Larson watched me struggle, and before I could say anything else on the matter, he said, “There's room for you on the next helicopter.”

  I didn't like the change in topic and tried to dismiss it by quickly blurting out, “I'm fine.” The effort must have unsettled my balance even more because Lei suddenly had one arm around my waist and a look on her face that conveyed she might kill me herself if I refused the medical care.

  Larson stepped closer and peered at the wound, “That's a bad place to have a hole in your body that nature hadn't intended for you,” he looked up to my face and shrugged, “not that there's such a thing as a good unintended hole, but that is right over a lung, and I'm not sure how your standing, much less breathing right now.”

  I made a feeble attempt at turning to Alexei to make introductions, but found only empty space, where Alexei had been.

  “Alexei?” I asked out loud.

  Lei's head moved from side to side, searching for him as well.

  Larson had a surprised look on his face, then quickly reacted by speaking into some kind of communication device that hung around his neck. “All units check targets, we have an uncontained friendly on site.” Larson turned
back to me, “Was he the guy who was helping you out a second ago?”

  I nodded my head, “He's been working alongside us since we got here.”

  “So he's on our side?” Larson asked.

  I considered that, “I think so, but it would probably be better to think of him as someone who had a similar agenda. Helping us, in turn helped him achieve his own goals as well.”

  Larson nodded, but asked, “You have any idea what those goals might have been?”

  “Seemed a personal thing between him and one of Dimitri's people called Nicholas.” I gestured to one of the other warehouses where I had seen Alexei and Nicholas before the fighting began. “You should probably have your people look in that warehouse before the regular army guys get in there.”

  Larson looked skeptical, “You think it's more important than containing biological weapons of mass destruction?”

  I shrugged, “You and you're team know about the W.M.D's and you're prepared for them. You don't know about what was going on in there.”

  Larson stared at me as the sound of another helicopter's blades could be heard coming in from over the forest.

  “That bad?” he asked me and I could only sigh, looking down at my feet in reply. I was getting tired, and really didn't feel like talking anymore.

  Lei answered for me, “Go see for yourself.” I could hear the pain in her voice, as her will began to crack, and I realized that despite appearances, her own injuries were far more significant than she had been showing.

  “Is that helicopter for us?” I asked as I inclined my head in the helicopter's direction.