Duel Nature

by John Conroe

  “Yes, you eradicated the Loki Spawn problem, a fact that I should have thought more about earlier today,” he said, looking thoughtful, then shaking his head ruefully. “What I’m referring to is your video conference with the President, the one where you threatened the nation and his life.”

  “That’s odd Director, I have a pretty good memory of the event you’re talking about and I don’t recall either you being there or me threatening the President. I do recall the President threatening me with two Reaper drones and an AC-130 gunship, plus about thirty specialforces, Delta types.”

  “I’ve seen video of the situation room under the White House. That Elder god you unleashed on the President seemed pretty threatening to me,” he said starkly.

  “Elder god, as in independent and under his own control. I had no responsibility for his actions, which were a response to threats against myself,” I said, now beginning to get really angry.

  He started to respond, but I held up my hand. “Let’s layout my side of the equation for just a second. I’ve spent my entire life from the time I was twelve exorcising demons that no one else could. You might consider that a service to the country. Then a couple of years ago I meet a girl, who changed my life. From that point on, my country started hounding me, threatening everyone and anyone in my life, right up to the point of using military assets against me inside the borders of my own country, of which I remind you I am a natural born citizen. I got past that and then removed a terrorist threat that my government was ill equipped to deal with. If a friend of mine, who happened to be a powerful entity intervened on my behalf without consulting me, that’s no reflection on my loyalty which is fast becoming more strained by the minute.”

  I was angry enough by this point that the God Tear necklace flared hot causing me to touch it. Stewart’s sharp eyes noticed the movement, absorbing that motion along with every other detail of our meeting.

  “I notice that you used the past tense when referring to the being I believe you call Okwari,” he said. “I told the President that every understanding I’ve garnered over seventy years of occult and supernatural investigation leads me to believe that Elder gods are not allowed to roam our world at will. I told him that your Okwari had most likely been forced to leave our realm by powers higher than himself,” he said, watching closely.

  Awasos chose that moment to cross the room, weaving his giant grizzly bulk through the chairs and people to arrive and slump down at my feet like a portable, furry loveseat.

  I kept my face expression blank, my arms still crossed over my chest.

  “Mr. Stewart, excuse me, Director Stewart,” Tanya said suddenly. “Christian’s relationship to the Darkkin Coven is a result of his becoming my Chosen. However, you and your President should be aware that his involvement and importance to our vampire nation is considered a matter of what could be termed our national security. His value in the eyes of our leaders is almost impossible to measure. However, our leaders recognize his ties and loyalties to the country of his natural birth, which is also the country of my birth. I too am a citizen of this nation,” she said waving her hands around, her Russian accent thick. “Don’t be fooled by my accent. I spent many years in Russia, my mother’s homeland, but I am an American at heart and Darkkin to my marrow. Much as your assistant is both an American and Athabascan. Dual citizenship is not a rare occurrence. So I think what you are really discussing is humans versus vampires, no?”

  She paused to study his reaction. I’m not sure what she saw, but the tightening around his eyes led me to believe she had struck a mark.

  “You’re a game player, Director. That’s obvious from your actions. Deliberately triggering Christian with an implied threat to Toni. A dangerous gamble; in fact, I don’t think you know how dangerous it was. Then this whole them versus us thing. Personally, I favor chess, but I think you’re more of a poker man, always trying to get a read on your opponent. Good skill to have, but it only works if you can see all the players. I promise you, Director, you haven’t even met all the players in this game. Think very, very carefully before you go all in.”

  Stewart looked at for a moment, his mustache twitching slightly, then he broke into a grin.

  “You are very astute, Ms. Demidova. I do, in fact, enjoy the game of poker and I’m guilty of playing on Chris’s hot buttons, as it were. But the question of human versus vampire or were or any supernatural is very real. In certain very high, very powerful circles, it is the single most important concern. A concern that came fully to light because of Chris’s involvement. I can tell you that the Loki Spawn operation in Mexico and the expanded knowledge of were-kind has kicked up a hornet’s nest. You simply can’t reveal a threat of that nature to the military and not expect them to seek defenses. The President has been under enormous pressure to reveal his ‘asset’ in that operation. An ‘asset’ that is viewed with fear and distrust.”

  “We are well aware of the flurry of intelligence activity that was the result of expanded knowledge of supernaturals. We know all about Taskforce 17 and its charter to learn everything about our world,” Tanya said, visibly surprising Stewart.

  I was surprised too, I didn’t know anything about any special Taskforce. My grandfather saved me from having to ask.

  “Taskforce 17?” he asked.

  “The multi-agency intelligence group set up by the President two years ago after Chris’s confrontation with him. It’s separate from the Department of Anomalous Activity; being less action oriented and more intelligence gathering. Gina, you were deliberately left out of it as you are deemed to be of compromised loyalty,” Tanya said.

  The Director was caught flatfooted by my vampiress’s knowledge, and to a lesser degree, so was I. She never told me any of this, but then I never asked. Tanya was privy to a great deal of Coven secrets and I never asked her questions about them, not wanting to put her in a conflict and frankly not wanting to expose myself to all their dark secrets.

  “You’re surprised that we know?” she directed at Stewart. “Director, my mother is older than this country and she’s been here through most of its history, along with a great many other vampires. My people have helped guide it through many of its worst crisis; we do that in every country on the planet.”

  “Ah, yes, can’t have the cattle killing themselves off,” he said, still shaken at her admission.

  “We live with humans and would die without them, so yeah, we have a stake in the survival of human life on this planet. We’re not that different, generally speaking every vampire was once a human,” she said.

  “Generally?” he asked.

  “Director, do you believe in God?” Gina asked rather suddenly, and very opportunely.

  “What?” he asked, caught completely off guard.

  “Simple question. Do you believe in God?” she asked again.

  “Well, yeah, I mean, yes. After everything I’ve seen and learned it would be hard to disbelieve,” he said.

  “What about you?” Gina asked Benally, surprising the were.

  “Yes,” was Adine’s answer after a moment.

  “You two?” Gina asked, looking at Eric and Barb.

  Both nodded, brows furrowed.

  “What about demons, Director? What about the Devil?”

  “Demonic activity is fairly well known, has been for many, many years,” he answered, looking uncomfortable with the direction the conversation had taken.

  “So will you agree that Evil exists and is opposed by its opposite forces, call them Good, or Light?” she asked.

  “Well, I won’t deny that demons are evil, but most evil is done by man himself,” he said.

  She smiled. “Exactly. Most evil comes from man, just as most good does as well. Vampires and weres are no different. I think Director, that the question shouldn’t be one of vampires versus humans or where Chris falls in that equation, but rather which side of the line do they fall – good or evil?”

  “You are asking if vampires and werewolves are evil or good,
let me remind you that they prey on humans,” Stewart said with a surge of self-righteousness.

  “Really? Ms. Benally, do you eat people?” my grandfather asked.

  Stewart’s face turned stormy. “Of course she doesn’t!” he thundered.

  “Interesting. Neither does the Pack that lives next door, or the Pack in New York city. Tanya here preys on just one human, but I doubt you’ll hear him complaining,” he said, with a grin in my direction. “Vampires drink from humans; werewolves are dangerous to humans, no question. But both groups live amongst humans and both police themselves to avoid problems. Vampire society frowns on killing people. They prefer willing donors who generally live long, healthy lives. Vampires who wantonly kill are usually killed themselves, right Tanya?”

  “That’s true. Killing is bad for business and makes donors nervous or even scarce. Our Elders forbid wanton killing. Master vampires who allow such acts in their territories don’t stay Masters or vampires for long,” she replied, although I sensed she wasn’t fully comfortable with that statement.

  Stewart’s angry expression relaxed a bit into something more thoughtful.

  “I think Chris’s record speaks pretty clearly to which side he falls on. Can you say the same for the politicians you work for, who, by the way, also ‘prey’ on people,” Gina said.

  “Oh come on, that’s hardly an apples to apples comparison,” Stewart said.

  “No? You think a person who has lost their job, livelihood, home or freedom because of laws passed by greedy politicians doesn’t suffer?” Gina asked.

  “They’re still alive,” Stewart pointed out. Gina held her hand out, palm down and waggled it.

  “An innocent who is torn apart by a hungry vampire suffers enormously. A person who loses a job, their home and family, becomes homeless and hopeless and finally dies of exposure does too. My point is that both actions create suffering, just as both are acts of greed. Chris and Tanya are currently assigned to police the Covens and punish those who break the rules of vampire society, and their punishments are far swifter and more final than anything faced by human criminals, be they serial killers or corrupt politicians,” Gina concluded.

  Stewart was quiet for a moment, his mustache waggling as he pondered.

  “The President asked my opinion of the threat you pose,” he finally began, looking directly at me. “You killed a bunch of federal agents, albeit ones already listed as dead in the war and working for a black ops unit, and you blew up every loaded weapon at that Customs station. Homeland Security freaked out, the National Security Council freaked and the President was this close to freaking,” he said, holding up his thumb and forefinger less than an inch apart.

  “What about General Creek?” I asked.

  “General Creek was rather vehement that we should isolate you and kill you, preferably with an airstrike, possibly with a small tactical nuke,” Stewart replied.

  I was a little shocked. I knew that General Creek didn’t like me; thought I had too much power, but I didn’t know he felt I should be bombed. My Grim side slid into control, expanded my senses in ways I don’t know how to duplicate when I’m myself, and scanned the area around us, including the airspace around and above. Nothing.

  Gina says it’s easy to tell when Grim is there, in control. My whole demeanor changes, becomes harder, colder and gives off an aura of danger. She says I appear coiled, like I was ready for instant violence. Stewart and company noticed, all of them becoming alert and tense, but with no obvious threats Grim receded, leaving me back in control and pondering the Director’s words.

  “That is….interesting,” Stewart said, still watching me through narrowed eyes.

  Gramps snorted then gave me a direct, questioning look.

  “Nothing in the air or on the ground for several miles,” I answered.

  Stewart was fascinated. “That was your alter ego, correct? The Grim Reaper is it?” he asked.

  “Just Grim. Grim Reaper was my call sign during the whole Loki Spawn hunt,” I answered.

  “Creek told me about your Mr. Hyde. Now I’ve seen it, twice. It’s unnerving,” he said.

  “Grim is not a hidden personality in the sense of true multiple personality disorder, Director. At least, I don’t believe so,” Gina said. “Chris is fully aware of the personality and controls it. It’s more like a persona, a combination of traits and responses that excel at certain functions. Like the business man who has a finely tuned haggling ‘face’ that he brings out during negotiations.”

  “But this one’s job is fighting,” Stewart stated, looking at Gina.

  “Yes, Grim is a combat persona – an uber combat persona. You mentioned an air strike and Grim took over to scan for threats,” Gina said.

  “And if there had been an inbound fighter, a gunship or drone on station, then what? Evasion?” Stewart asked.

  “No, Director. Chris and Tanya could leave the area very quickly, but the rest of us couldn’t, so Grim would have dealt with the threat,” Gina said. She was right, but I was a little surprised at how well she understood me, in all my forms.

  “Dealt with a fighter?” Stewart asked, incredulous.

  “Remember the drones and AC-130 incident?” Gina asked.

  His eyebrows went straight to his hairline. “Hmm, you have a point.”

  He thought about that for a moment then turned to me.

  “And you’re sure there’s nothing up there?” he asked, testing.

  “Didn’t say that. There are no current threats, there is a US satellite directly overhead as well as another that I think might be Chinese,” I said. I didn’t tell him about the third one that was most likely a Coven owned unit.

  “A Chinese satellite parked overhead?” he asked. At my nod he turned to Adine who was already dialing a number on her cell phone. She started a fast conversation with whoever answered. Stewart distracted me by asking more questions.

  “You just guessed at the US bird?” he ventured.

  “It’s got a weird sorta metallic balloon thingy around it,” I answered after a brief internal consult with Grim.

  Benally closed her phone and turned to the Director, whose eyes had gotten wider at my odd description. “Sir, he’s correct about the Chinese sat. They think it’s Yaogan 3,” she said.

  “Balloon thingy?” he questioned.

  Eric leaned down and whispered in his ear, but his words were clear to Tanya and I.

  “Sir, it could be Misty. One of Misty’s design elements is a radar deflecting stealth envelope that could be called a balloon…thingy.”

  Stewart turned back toward me and looked very thoughtful.

  “Creek is right…you’re a nightmare!” he said, his expression indecisive. After a moment he turned to look at Tanya.

  “What about you, my dear? Do you play with air and space craft as well?” he asked.

  “With Tanya it’s all about her voice,” Gina said, making me wince inside, hoping she didn’t mention Tanya’s ability with sound. “When she speaks, world economics change. You think Buffett or the Fed Chairman have clout? Who do you think feeds them the answers?”

  I heaved a big internal sigh of relief even as Stewart looked more incredulous than at any of my revelations.

  “Oh come on! You can’t be serious? A vampire Greenspan?” he asked.

  “Let’s review. The vampires average hundreds of years of age. Their government is the oldest on earth. They pool their money and have the most gifted among them invest it. They’ve been in this country before and while it was being built. They have people everywhere, human and vampires both, in every business, every government, everywhere. They pay their people extremely well, protect them viciously and punish betrayers violently. They have all the inside information! Hell, they disseminate most of it themselves. And Tatiana is one of their most gifted business minds with the favor of their ruling Elders,” Gina said.

  Stewart was pale now and his mustache trembled as his eyes grew hooded.

  “That may be t
he single scariest thing I’ve ever heard. You’re saying they control the world markets? All of them?” he asked.

  Tanya answered. “We mostly let them run themselves, but we monitor everything, feeding tips to the appropriate agencies when participants misbehave. We do utilize inside information, but we keep it subtle. Humans may not believe in vampires and werewolves, but interestingly enough, your most suspicious people are your stock traders and hedge fund managers. They are sensitive to the slightest misalignments in the market place,” she said, shaking her beautiful head in wonder. “But yes, we have our hands in the game everywhere and we protect our investments and assets ruthlessly. And Director Stewart…We are heavily invested in Christian!” she said, nailing him with her cerulean stare.

  “Hmmpf,” he said, clearing his throat and jumping a little as he broke her gaze. “Your point is well made.”