I've Been Waiting for You

by Mary Moriarty

“We will.” Colum said.

  * * * * * * * *

  They were doing a ten mile hike to avoid detection from the captors. Twenty men, all large, and fifteen of these men were vampires; creatures of the dark, along with five humans who had signed up a few years ago and had given the vampires permission to change them should it ever come to that.

  Colum, as King, was always first in line, followed by Travis and Cormac, with Odin and Thor bringing up the rear. Odin could see Brent in the crowd of men. Having survived the IED explosion they’d had a couple of months earlier, Brent’s brother, Justin, had been mortally wounded and had said to change him. He now jogged alongside Odin.

  “We’re gonna get us some terrorists this morning, sir. Don’t you worry. We’ll get the girls back and clear that cell out.” He turned his face towards Odin and even with his night-vision goggles on Odin could see the crazy red radiating from Justin’s eyes. It took years for men who had been changed to settle down. He would be a one vampire wrecking and killing machine. Brent, was in front of him.

  “Crazy as a human, and even crazier as a vampire. Lord, have mercy for those terrorists that took the girls. Justin is coming and hungry.”

  Most of the men didn’t talk about how Justin had been turned. They were happy to still have him around, but all walked and worked warily around him. He was known to start growling for no reason and Odin had to explain how new born vampires were volatile to the extreme, to put it bluntly.

  Colum put his hand up and motioned for the men to stop. All the men gathered. “Brent and Justin keep watch, but listen up.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  He got out the map he had and turned on his flashlight. “This is where the girls are at and this is where we are at.” They all looked at the map and then at the landmark that gave them the mark to know where they were. “Our helicopter, with 3 gunners and the pilot, are waiting for word. They will be there as fast as we need them. Once we get the girls, children and the other women rescued we are going to go back to kill any of the bastards that might have survived the first assault.” He looked up and saw the faces of his future son-in-law and Thor. Both had eyes the color of Burmese rubies. He could feel his blood starting to boil and knew it was going to be hard to stay focused. They would rescue, but they were going to want to kill and destroy, too. It was the nature of the beast, and Colum could feel his beast rising. No one messed with one of his own and got away with it.

  “Remember men, we have to focus first on getting the girls, children and the women out of there. They are going to be traumatized enough without seeing us do a bloodletting.”

  “My mouth is watering.”

  Colum smiled at Justin and his honesty. “Yeah, son, mine is too. But unless you are alone in a room, with one of the terrorists, you are not to go for blood. Just shoot to kill. Do you hear me?” He watched all the men. “Good, then let’s get going, we have five miles to go. We want to get there and get the girls before 0400 hours. I am sure the men will be up soon after that, so we want surprise as our weapon in order to keep the girls safe. My daughter and Olivia are to be rescued first then the children and the other women, in that order. Get them out and away. The helicopter is going to be waiting to pick them up and bring them back to the transport. After that we will do clean up.”

  “Yea, clean up, for sure,” said Justin with a wicked laugh.

  Chapter 9

  Sally wrapped her arm around Olivia’s shoulder. They sat dozing. Everyone had quieted down and the women had all asked if maybe they would be rescued. Sally didn’t want to say anything, when in doubt, don’t comment, or shrug your shoulders and say I wish, but don’t know. Then Houda had translated. The women had all congregated to one room. Some on mattresses, a few like Sally and Olivia, sitting up, covered in dirty blankets. Sally’s stomach growled. She didn’t want to disturb Olivia, but she knew that it could be a shit storm soon so she needed to keep up her strength.

  “Honey,” she nudged Olivia.

  Olivia sat up. “What, what?” She looked up, a sleepy eyed mess. Her usually neat long auburn hair was all messed up and tangled. She’d said she “didn’t give a fuck about hair or appearance.”

  Sally pulled her closer. “Do you have anything in your bag that is edible?”

  Olivia nodded. “You know I do.”

  She pulled her big bag off her chest and rummaged around. She pulled out a Cliff Bar. “Here.”

  As soon as Sally started unwrapping it, faces peeked out from covers. Mostly the little ones. One, though, looked like a really young mother, no more than fourteen. She was the mother of the newborn.

  Sally looked at Olivia and Olivia dove back into her bag. She brought out a few more bars. “Split them up.”

  Sally split the bars up and handed them out. The young mother looked at the bar and then stuffed it in her mouth. Sally took one small bite from hers and then handed the rest to the young girl. She motioned for her to come to their group. Pulling her and her baby in they huddled and cuddled in under the blanket. The baby made a little protest for a few moments, then settled back in and started nursing.

  Sally tried to ask in her little bit of halting Arabic that she knew along with hand motions. Hoping the few words she said, got through. “Your name? How old?” she asked, pointing to the girl and the baby.

  The girl looking up with big brown eyes, “Sa’dah. I am almost fifteen. My baby, a little boy is not quite four weeks old. His father was killed when he tried to save me from being kidnapped. I had the baby here.”

  Sally reached out and touched the baby’s hair with her finger. “He’s so tiny.” She looked up at the girl. She saw tears coursing down her cheeks. “Do you have family?”

  The girl shook her head. “No, all killed by these animals.”

  Houda scooted close to Sally and Olivia. “Listen, if we get rescued but something happens to me, please Sally, promise me you will take my daughter.”

  Sally hugged Houda. “Nothing is going to happen, and it’s when we get out of this, not if. Everything will be fine.”

  Sally nudged Olivia and Houda. “Let’s go to the bathroom.” She made the young mother lay back down. “Rest, we will be right back.”

  They tiptoed down the hall and all three went into the bathroom. Closing and locking the door Sally reached into her purse. She typed out a quick text and then pulled her pants down to go pee. Olivia rummaged through her bag and found her phone.

  “Hey, I got a message from Thor,” she whispered. “He told me to hang on that he would get me.”

  Sally read her text. “Houda, Odin wants to know where in the building we are.”

  “I think we are on the north side because I can hear the moazzen pretty clear so that tells me we are nearer to the market.”

  Olivia looked up from her bag. “How so?”

  “Because it’s on the street side near the market and I can hear the market from the courtyard, so that’s tells me where it is, also there is a hill side on the other side that I have seen behind the mosque ”

  Sally hugged Houda. “Good job. Let me tell him.”

  Odin I got your text. You love me? Tell me when you rescue me. I have always loved you. We are on the side near the market and the mosque. Does that help?

  Sally waited and then her phone lit up.

  Yes. No more texts. Hang on.

  Sally erased all the messages and stuffed the phone back in her purse. Looking at the two with her, she said, “Go pee and let’s get back.”

  Olivia looked at her friend. “They’re coming, aren’t they?”

  Sally nodded. “I think they are close. We have to get back and make sure everyone is ready without them knowing, just in case. Houda, get Fatima ready. Make sure Sa’dah gets her baby ready.”

  Houda grabbed Sally, “Promise me if anything happens.”

  Sally grabbed Houda by the face. “Listen to me, we are all going to get out of this alive and free, do you understand?”

  Houda started to cry. “I just haven
’t been free for three years, it’s too good to be true and Fatima is all I have.”

  Sally hugged Houda. “I promise, now let’s get back. We stay together and if we have to, run. But whatever the men say or do you listen to them. They won’t hurt you or Fatima, they are here to save us.”

  They got back and sat down. Some of the women and children stirred.

  Sa’dah looked at Sally and Olivia with big eyes. Olivia reached out to the girl and pulled her to them. “It’s OK, we’ll be fine. Tuck that baby to you and don’t let go of my hand OK?”

  Sa’dah nodded.

  * * * * * * * *

  The men stood in a quiet group, all in the shadows of the wall. Colum watched as Odin sniffed the air. He was like a blood hound. Now that he and Sally had become mates, he would find her in a matter of seconds.

  Everyone made last minute adjustments to gear and weapons. Some of the older vampires who had no personal attachment to the girls stood, steely eyed, but Colum could hear their blood humming. They were ready for some revenge and blood. He caught them pushing one another. He heard Odin growl.

  “If anything happens to the girls and you boneheads are to fault be forewarned, I will personally tear you apart with my bare hands and you will never know what hit you.”

  Colum smiled. Odin would make a very good leader. He was younger than those creatures but they respected him. Colum saw Justin walk up to him.

  “We will all do fine.”

  Odin clasped Justin on the arm. “I know. Now, let’s get our girls and all of them out of there. That is the first part of the mission, to get them out safely. I repeat, no feeding until we are through.” He turned towards Brent. “Brent, stay with Thor.”

  Brent stood straighter. “Yes sir, and if anything happens.”

  Thor looked him straight in the eyes. “I will take care of you.”

  They started scaling the wall on the north side. One at a time each man climbed to the top, sitting like a bird on a wire then dropping noiselessly to the ground on the other side. All were over in a short amount of time. Colum sent a message to the helicopter that stood waiting. This part of the mission would be absolutely quiet, unless all hell broke loose. Colum hoped that this would all go off without a hitch, knowing the habits of these men since he had one of their former operatives as a part of their group. But nothing ever worked out how you planned it, no matter how carefully you planned.

  All were pressed up against the wall of the building. They stopped and listened. A few snores and coughs could be heard. He stood at a door and listened. With his acute hearing he heard nothing but the soft buzz of insects. He tried the handle and it gave to his turn. Slowly opening it, he slipped a scope in to see in the darkened hall. Nothing. They all filed in and started walking down the hallway, which was dimly lit. They came to a corner. Colum motioned for Odin to go ahead of him. He would be able to sniff out Sally’s scent.

  Odin stood stock still. He listened, sniffed the air and then closing is eyes he just let go. He stood there letting his other senses take over. His real night vision, which was better than any goggles, took over. He could see everything very clearly. He heard the cough of a child, the whimper of probably the newborn. He could smell the scent of the new mother. “Shit.”

  He turned and gathered everyone into a tight circle. He knew this could be like a feeding frenzy for Justin who was a new vampire. He could be an asset, but also a risk. It would be his call to whether to keep him or send him back to the helicopter. He looked at the men. All the vampires knew instantly what the risk was, just with the scent of a new mother floating through the air.

  Colum put his hand up for silence. He stood for a moment and then whispered. “It’s up to you Odin, it’s your call. I know, like all of us here, that the young mother is still bleeding from giving birth.” He grabbed Justin, “If you go nuts, you might as well offer yourself up for a sacrifice, because if anything happens to that girl I will be the first one to take your blood.” He had Justin’s vest balled up in his big hand, had his face right up to him. He was growling. Others of his men started growling. He put his other hand up to silence them quickly, knowing this was what started a frenzy.

  Travis who had been quiet stepped forward. “I will protect the girl as my own daughter, as soon as we locate her.” He too got into Justin’s face. “You will not be getting near her, none of you will. She and her newborn are mine, just as if she were Sally or my own daughter.”

  Odin had only seen this kind of action once in battle. Colum and his father were very protective of women around a battlefield. That young mother would now be part of the coven whether she wanted to or not. Travis had claimed her and she would be under the protection now of their coven.

  Justin felt his cravings for blood that had flooded his body all of a sudden come to an abrupt halt. “I will be fine, I’m cool.”

  Colum had a feeling he had gotten through to Justin. “Good! You are free to kill and feed after we get them all out and away but before, never,”

  They all heard a door open. It was the slightest sound, more like a mere whisper. All the men flattened themselves into the wall, if that was possible for men their size. Even the human men were large. They stood quiet as statues. Then they heard the clear sound of a baby’s cry. Odin knew they had to move. If they could hear the baby then the captors could too. He raised one hand in the motion of MOVE. They turned the next corner and came up to a door slightly ajar. Peeking out was a child. When the child saw all the men, their equipment and size of them, he let out a scream.

  Odin rushed in, grabbing the small child. The next second there was a rush of bodies, women, children, vampires and human men were in the small room. Odin’s senses scanned the room and next thing he knew he had Sally hurling herself against him. She grabbed at the child, who was still screaming into Odin’s vest. He gathered Sally to him, looking into her eyes.

  “You got here,” Sally didn’t finish what she was about to say. Her lips were crushed to Odin’s. Despite what separated them, she felt his heat, the strength of his arms as he crushed her to him. Felt his lips seek and devour hers as he kissed her like it was the end of the world or worse, escaping from terrorist.

  Odin pulled away from Sally. The child he held had quieted down. Sally kissed Odin’s nose and then smiled. “I love you! Now you’d better put Fatima down.”

  Sally looked over her shoulder and felt Houda trying to grab at her daughter. Odin put Fatima down.

  Sally looked around at the women. “We go, now.” She said in her rough Arabic.

  Travis came forward, “Where is the young mother?”

  Sally slipped out of Odin’s hold. “Here is Sa’dah, Travis, and her little boy.”

  Travis came up to Sa’dah and got down on his knee. “I am an old warrior, but I pledge my body to protect you and your son until such time you find a good husband from our coven. You will never have to fear ever again or want for anything.”

  Sa’dah looked down at Travis, who had bowed his face over her hand. She gently touched his head and then his face. In slow, halting English Sa’dah answered her knight’s call, “I put my life and the life of my son in your hands.”

  Sally could hear nothing. Everyone was quiet.

  Then Olivia’s whispered. “Thor, aren’t you happy to see me?”

  As Sally buried her face in Odin’s chest for another brief moment, she heard the rush of Thor snatching up Olivia. Sally turned her face away when she heard Sa’dah speaking to Travis.

  All of a sudden they heard a noise coming from down the hallway.

  Colum motioned for all the men to go down the hall into the other part of the woman’s quarters. All the men, despite their size, scattered quietly. The women all fell back to the floor as if they were asleep. Everyone was quiet.

  One of the men came up to the door. Why is this open? It shouldn’t be opened, he thought. He poked his head in and saw the women were all sleeping. He stayed still for a few minutes, just watching and thinking. M
aybe he should take a wife from this group. He already had two. What was another? He could use a new wife. He would talk to his cousin.

  He remained that way for a few more minutes and then decided it must have been one of the children who had screamed, a bad dream. He left, closing the door behind him. No need to lock, where could they go to? After all, the whole village was supportive of what they had here.

  Sally waited what seemed forever. She saw Colum look around the corner. Then the men filed out. She got up quickly and went to Odin. He pulled her to him and quickly kissed the top of her head.

  Colum looked around the room. With the amount of women and children, it made their mission a bit more risky, but it wasn’t like they weren’t up for risk.

  “OK, this is how it will be. We are going to go back the same way as we came. Each of you men will take two women and a child if necessary. Travis, you will have Sa’dah and her newborn. See if she can strap the baby to her to make it easier.”

  Odin handed Sally a Glock. “You know how to use it. Don’t hesitate, do you understand?”

  Sally looked up at her mate. “I understand.”

  Odin caught her chin. “Remember, I love you and should anything happen, I will be right there and you will be fine.”

  They both knew what he meant. Sally swallowed. She wanted it, it would mean forever, but she was so scared. Here, for these brief few minutes they were sheltered and safe. Once they got out side, they were exposed. She pressed her head into his chest. Then looking up she reached for what of his face was exposed. “I love you.”

  Olivia stayed for a moment longer in Thor’s embrace. “Will you take Houda and me?”

  Thor looked down at the one who had become the focal point of his existence. The one, despite the fact she fought him every time he said something, he had fallen in love with. He would need to think straight to get them back safely. “Yes.”

  Houda looked at the giants around her. Just like the old stories she had heard as a child of giants who once walked this earth. Well, here stood some and she was about to put her daughter and herself in the hands of them.