The dark vampire that his minions called Sicarii stepped out of the comfort of the cathedral to the courtyard within the church. His mind washed him back to the days of his youth. He had been a young assassin. What would be called a terrorist by today’s media. His true name, long forgotten by others, was Judah. He hailed from Kerioth, a small town south of Judea. He grew up the son of a goat herder, spending his days helping his father tend the goats and doing chores for his mother. He was their only son. He remembered a sister, but only vaguely, for he was too young when they were all taken from him. The Romans destroyed what little they had and he couldn’t even tell you why. He, too, would have seen his end at the mercy of a Roman blade had it not been for an Arab traveler. The man dispatched the Roman soldier with the skill of a hunter and slipped into the shadows as if a ghost.
He was very small, but smart enough to realize that his only chance at survival was to learn the ways of this ghost Arab, so he followed him and found a way into the man’s trust. Over the years of his life, the man taught Judah how to become a world class hashishin. The things he was taught by the Arab master of death would earn him a reputation far and wide. The things he could do with his blades and the ability to blend back into his environment went a long way into making him a world class vampire as well.
From a very young age, he was taught to defend himself, to steal, to lie and to kill. These things the Arab ingrained into him until it became second nature. He was an artisan of the arts of survival. He could mix with the richest of men or the poorest of men and with the flipping of his cloak he could appear to be in the proper company with whichever he encountered. His robes held such an array of weaponry, the blades so sharp that most didn’t even feel the cut until they were slipping in their own blood or tripping over their own intestines. The Arab taught him how to hide in both the shadows or in the open, to blend in with a crowd or to disappear completely in the darkness. He was a shadow that even the darkness feared.
And once he became vampire, he took things a step further, using his skills at killing to a whole new level and creating the Sicarii, the secret brotherhood of the dagger, to terrorize the Romans and run them out of his homeland. His hatred for the Romans ran so deep that he would spend the rest of his existence bringing them terror. A smile spread across his lips momentarily as he allowed himself to recall his youth, but he quickly quelled it. Happiness is an illusion. It was no longer allowed. Pain is the truth, the only truth that he allowed.
*****
“Opcom, this is Team Leader, we are on approach to target. One-five minutes to target zone.” Spalding said into his lip mic.
“Copy that Team Leader. We have satellite intel available. Forwarding to your mobile command center now.” The voice in their earpieces stated.
Captain Jackson Jones came over their communications. “Received and downloading to portable PDA’s. Prepare to receive.”
Each squad member pulled up their BDU sleeve and pulled back the Velcro cover from their wrist mounted PDA’s. Pushing the button on the side, the satellite data was downloaded and saved. One by one they each acknowledged receipt.
Jackson came over the coms again. “Initial intel reported a storm of fourteen baby vamps in the area. From the IR data feed, it appears they are still in a single group and isolated in this one area, highlighted here.” One area on their PDA’s lit up on the outskirts of a lightly populated area. “If they are on a feeding frenzy as initial reports indicated, they’ll be pretty sloppy. We are going to be dropping in altitude to a drop zone one click upwind of the tangos.” Static filled the earpiece as he clicked off.
“Rack ‘em and stack ‘em boys and girls!” Spanky yelled. “It’s party time!” The Monster Squad all double checked their weapons and each other’s chutes. They stepped to the line as the jumpmaster indicated the zip line above their heads. They all clicked their static lines to it and waited for the rear cargo door to open. Once the craft leveled out and the air inside the cargo area equalized, the rear door began to open. The yellow light on either side of the door blinked and a red rotating light was flashing in their goggles. The red light switched off and the yellow light dimmed out, a bright green light flashed and the jumpmaster yelled at them, slapping each on the shoulder, “Go! Go! Go!”
Each member jumped out as far as they could, feeling their chutes open behind them, checking their squad mates chutes in front to ensure a good clean opening. As Spanky exited the C-130 he gave a yell, “Geronimo! God, I love this job!”
Checking their PDA’s and compass to help guide them down, the team landed as close to their target zone as possible. When Spanky hit the ground, he called Jackson on the coms, “Mobile command, this is Team Leader, last man down.”
“Roger that, Team Leader. Deploying drone.” Came the reply. “Maintaining high altitude surveillance until strike called.”
“Roger and out.” Spanky responded. “Okay boys and girls, let’s pack 'em and rack ‘em. These bastards are only a click away and raising hell. Get your chutes stuffed and stowed and let’s double time it!”
8
Laura observed what she could from the Operation Command Center back at Tinker. She listened in on the communications broadcast and everything sounded good from her end. The team had yet to engage, but she knew it was only a matter of time. She peered at the clock. It was nearly sundown. She needed to find Matt, Nadia and Natashia and get them into the cells below before the sun went down completely or things could get messy.
She had just stepped out of the Command Center when she saw Matt leading the two women to the elevator. She had an idea that they were headed to the cells where Evan used to be held. “Matt?”
“We’re headed down now, Laura.” He turned and walked the short distance to speak privately. “You know how sorry I am I can’t be here to help.”
“You can’t help it.” She said a knowing look in her eyes.
“There’s a reason I made you XO, ya know. If anybody can handle a shit storm, it’s you.” He smiled.
“Yeah, yeah, flattery will get you everywhere.” She smiled back. “You better hustle, Colonel. You’re burning daylight.”
“Roger that. Good luck.” His face serious.
“You, too, sir.”
Matt punched the button for the elevator and ushered the ladies in. Jack came running up just before the doors closed. “Sorry. Had to get my squad ready for the next wave.” He said.
“I know.” Nadia said, her eyes appearing nervous. She knew that the sun was quickly setting.
“Remember what we were going to try? Before I left?” he asked.
“Yes. Of course.”
“Will you try it tonight? Please?” Jack asked, his voice almost pleading.
“Of course I will, Jack. For you.” She kissed him quickly. “We must go.”
“I love you.” He said quickly as the doors shut.
“I love you, too!” and the doors sealed in front of him.
“They’ll be fine, Chief.” Laura said from the door of the Command Center.
“I know. But I’ll still worry.” He said, a lopsided grin crossing his face.
“Gotta keep a clear head when you’re in the field, Chief. You can’t be worrying about what may or may not be going on back here.” She stated, trying to say what she thought Colonel Mitchell might.
“Roger that, ma’am.” He smirked.
Laura gave him a little wink and went back to the Command Center.
*****
“What was that about?” Matt asked Nadia on the ride down.
“Jack had a lot of questions back home. He found out that natural born wolves can shift at will, and that when we shift on our own, we have control of our Halfling form.” She answered.
“Except when the moon pulls us.” Natashia added. “During the full moon, all wolves are given over to their wolf instincts.
“Jack asked if we had ever tried to shift first before the moon pulls us, and then try to retain control over the Halfling for
m.” Nadia finished.
Matt held the elevator door open for them and indicated for them to turn right. “Well? Has anybody ever tried it before?”
“Not to our knowledge.” Natashia answered. “If they have, they have not shared the answer.”
“But tonight, I promised Jack that I would try.” Nadia answered.
“As will I.” Natashia said.
“Wish I had that option.” Matt said as he escorted them to the silver barred cells. “Ladies, this will be our home for the evening.” Matt entered a keyed sequence into the keypad on the wall and three cells opened. “I’m setting them to open again at dawn.”
Matt began to undress and paused. He flushed somewhat. “I um, didn’t take into consideration…” he turned to the women who had both already stripped of their clothing and stepped into their cells. He quickly turned back around, his face a bright red. “Um, okay.”
Nadia shifted as soon as she entered her cell and as expected, had assumed the form of a true wolf again. Natashia assumed her Halfling form and stepped into her cell as well. Matt heard heavy breathing and turned again and nearly shit himself. “Okay, that was quick.” He muttered. “Here, let me get the doors for you.” He walked over and shut both cell doors with a clang, then stepped back to his cell. He stripped down to his boxers then shut his cell. He glanced around and realized that neither wolf was paying him any attention. Aw, fuck it! He pulled his boxers off and flipped them outside the bars. He walked to the middle of the cell and waited for the shift to take place.
This was the part he hated the most, the anticipation of the shift. Usually, his heart would race and his head would be pounding, but this time, he was calm. He realized that for the first time in years, he wasn’t nervous, or excited or ready to rip somebody’s head off. He couldn’t feel his heart pounding in his chest and he wasn’t slobbering like a wild beast.
He turned to the cell bars and although Nadia in her wolf form was in the cell nearest him, he called out across to the other cell. “Tasha! Can you understand me?”
The Halfling turned and looked at him. It snarled something and stepped closer to the bars, he couldn’t really say that he could read her face, but he could tell that she was paying attention to him. “I’ll take that as a yes, since I can’t really understand wolf.” He cleared his throat and averted his eyes for a moment. “I’m not very good at showing gratitude, but…I just wanted to say ‘thank you’. I mean it. This is the first time in…years? Perhaps since I was first attacked? I really don’t recall, but it’s the first time since maybe forever that I feel even close to…normal and it’s just before a shift.” He could almost swear the Halfling smiled. “Anyway, I don’t know what you did, or how you did it, but, thank you.”
The Halfling nodded at him, so he knew that she understood. He stepped away from the bars and as he did, he noticed Nadia, and his mind raced back to the young girl he saw cornered, the fear in her eyes, how her eyes began to glow, then she shifted, he pulled his weapon and shot her, and he felt a pang in his heart. He knew then what his wolf knew. She was special to him, regardless of the pain he had tied to her, she meant something to him. He had to save her from the ice…and then the world went from color to black and white and the wolf took him.
*****
Nadia held her wolf form as she listened to the Colonel speak with her mother. She could tell that his words were heartfelt. He finally found a peace that he hadn’t had in years, perhaps in his entire life as a wolf. She turned and looked at her mother and saw her smile. She knew that her mother couldn’t ‘speak’ to the colonel in a way that he could understand, but she could read her. She had been Halfling with her and hunted in the woods enough with her to know every move of her body, every line of her beautiful face and every word that she spoke as a Halfling.
She waited for the change to hit the colonel. She knew that once he shifted, if she kept her mind about her, then she would be in control during the shift. If she could maintain that control throughout the night, then Jack’s theory would be correct and wolves throughout the world could live their lives without fear of the full moon and what they might do under its influence. No more locking themselves behind silver barred rooms, no more chaining themselves in dungeons. No more being a prisoner that one night of the month when all wolves want to run free.
She watched him and she saw the look on his face…as though he saw something in her that he recognized. He remembered something, but she couldn’t know what he was thinking. He was about to say something when the change hit him. What? What was he about to say? She’d never know now, for he was a Halfling with no control over his human mind.
The Colonel stood there a moment, contemplating its surroundings. The Halfling looked at Nadia and smiled at her. He gently slipped his arm through the silver bars and touched her wolf face. She rubbed her face against his large Halfling hand and the Halfling scratched her behind the ears. Carefully, the Halfling withdrew his arm and sat on the floor. After so many years of waking to find himself in these cells, he knew exactly what the silver bars meant. Perhaps he was simply happy to have company this night.
Nadia looked toward her mother. Nadia certainly felt in control of herself. Did her mother maintain control? Natashia looked at her daughter and Nadia saw a tear roll down her mother’s cheek. She was smiling. She understood the true meaning of this experiment as well, and so far, apparently she had control. Nadia whimpered and her mother shrugged. She sat down near the back of the cell and leaned against the back wall. While they may have ‘control’, they were certainly bored. It was going to be a long night.
9
Laura was working topside when Evan checked in. “I think somebody tried to wake me.” He said sheepishly.
Laura smiled. “Oh, yeah. It truly is like trying to wake the dead when you’re out, isn’t it?”
“Sorry. I hadn’t rested in days and…”
“No worries. We took care of it.” She said, pulling the stack of reports together and shuffling them. “Good to have you back with us, though.”
“Has the colonel already gone down below?” he asked.
“Oh yeah. Along with Jack’s wife and mother-in-law.”
“Who, what?” Evan asked, obviously not expecting that answer.
“Oh, that’s right. You were asleep.” She smirked. “Seems Mr. Thompson is married now and the whole “famn damily” gets furry in the moonlight.”
Evan was literally in shock. His mouth hung open and he was at a total loss for words.
“Close your mouth, doc. You’re attracting flies.” Laura quipped. “Besides, we have an op on the ground and a potential shit-storm brewing. We have two other single confirmations and I’m expecting seconds at any moment.”
“I’m still trying to wrap my mind around the whole werewolf marriage thing.” Evan said. “It gives a whole new meaning to ‘getting a piece of tail’ doesn’t it?”
“Oh my god, doc! Did you just make a joke?” Laura feigned shock.
Evan smiled. “I thought it was rather smart for off the cuff.”
“It was pretty sharp.” She admitted. “For you, especially.”
“Hey. That stung.” He whined.
“Can’t help it if your sense of humor sucks.”
“I am a vampire, Laura.”
“That’s no excuse, love.” She said and planted a light kiss on his cheek.
Evan gave a light shiver. “I love it when you do that.”
“I bet you do.” She purred. It had been a long time since the two of them had worked toward their relationship, but seeing Jack with Nadia gave Laura the desire to rekindle what they once shared. Still, they had a lot of work ahead of them tonight. She had to try to remain diligent. She cleared her throat. “Have you eaten yet?”
“No. I came straight up.”
“Fine. Grab something real quick. It’s likely to be a very long night.” She said. He turned to get a pint of donated blood and she pinched his bottom, just to remind him that she could be
playful and still be in charge. She didn’t expect that he’d jump though. And scream.
He turned and faced her, eyes wide. “Sorry. I wasn’t expecting that.”
She stifled a laugh. “You are so manly, Evan. I could just eat you up.” She purred, then turned and left him standing there with a goofy stare on his face.
*****
Foster made arrangements for a car to transport him to the docks. Just as he was stepping into the car, Damien came rushing out of the darkness toward him and his body guards. “Wait! Wait! Don’t leave without me!”
Paul rolled his eyes. Surely this half-wit didn’t really think he was going to attend a blood-alliance with him? “Wait for what, baby vamp?”
“For me, of course.” Damien said, breathing hard from running across the warehouse. “You wouldn’t leave me behind, would you?”
“Why would I take you?” Foster asked.
“Why wouldn’t you?” Damien cried. “Who discovered the upcoming attack on the hunters? Me, that’s who! Who tracked down the wolf and the contact information to this Thorn guy? Me, that’s who! Who tracked down where this guy’s island was located…well, okay, sort of located? Me, that’s who!” Damien pointed at his chest, thumping each time. “Face it, Paul. You need me. I’m a key player here!”
Paul was almost impressed. Impressed that this asshat thought so highly of himself. Paul withdrew from the car and stood to face Damien. “Allow me to clarify a few things for you, baby vamp.” Paul began. “You live because I allow you to live. You feed because I allow you to feed. You shit because I allow you to shit. You fuck because I allow you to fuck. And you do what you are told to do because I tell you to do them.” The waves of power emanating from Foster dropped Damien to his knees, his eyes lowered to the pavement. “Do not think for one moment that I need you. You need me!” he growled.
Full Moon Rising - 02 Page 9