“Any moron could have stumbled upon those punks. Any moron could have tracked down the wolf and any moron could coerce the information from him that led us to this point and this time. The very thought that I need you?” Foster leaned down close to Damien and whispered in his ear, “Perhaps you’d like to rethink your previous comments?”
“F-forgive me, master.” He stammered. “I overstepped my station.”
“Yes, you did.” Paul said as he stepped back into the car. “Go clean something before I decide I’d rather use your skin as a doormat.” He said dismissively.
The car pulled away leaving Damien groveling on the pavement. As Foster’s tail lights pulled out of sight, Damien lifted his eyes. Perhaps you should rethink my importance, master.
*****
Laura was listening in on the events beginning in California when Lieutenant Gregory stepped in to the Command Center. “Sorry to bother you ma’am. We have another secondary.”
She simply nodded and held out her hand. “When it rains…”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Where’s this one?”
“Mexican zombies, ma’am.” He said with a half-assed grin.
“Oh, for the love of…” She rubbed her temples. “Seriously? You’d think something like this the Federales could take care of.” She snapped. She knew then that she feared something more was going to come of the case in California, but this was all part of the job. “Fine. Alert Second Squad.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Gregory exited and headed topside. Laura waited for the amber alert light to come on and she didn’t have to wait long. She held her finger over the alert button to keep the claxon from blaring in the Operation Command Center. As soon as it began, she silenced it.
“Time to make the doughnuts.” She muttered.
Apollo and his team had their gear already loaded on a flat and in the back of a deuce and a half before Gregory made it topside. They knew something else would happen since it was a full moon and they were ready and waiting. As soon as Gregory handed Apollo the file, the team loaded in the truck and slipped into the night, headed for a fast transport to central Mexico.
*****
As Third Squad reached the target area, Spalding halted his group. He slapped Sanchez on the back and ordered, “Three-Three, take over watch. Cover our six.”
“Copy that.” She took off toward an overhang that looked out over the small valley town.
“Two, you and Four head toward that small apartment complex. You see anything, key your mic, but maintain radio silence.” Hank, the Padre Michaels nodded and grabbed Dave Marshall to take with him. “Three-Five, you’re with me.” Spanky told TD Wallace. “We’re going to head to the village center and hit the businesses. If we spot anything, we’ll do the same. Copy?”
“Roger that.” Hank said just as the two teams broke off. As they separated and got about halfway to their target zones, Sanchez broke in across their earpieces.
“Over watch established. You’re five by five.” She whispered. She received two clicks back on her earpiece.
“Team Leader, Mobile Command, drone has picked up activity 500 yards to your west. Repeat, activity five-zero-zero yards to your west.”
“Roger that Mobile Command.” Spanky responded. “Two, fall back on my six and we’ll converge at the water tower, over.” He ordered Hank.
“Roger.”
“Team Leader, Over watch, I have a clear line of sight to the tower, no activity. South of the tower visual is blocked from here. Over”
“Copy that, Over watch. Cover our six for us. We’ll take care of the flanks. Over.”
“Roger.” Sanchez sighted through her scope and followed her team as they cut through the town’s main street. She observed the Padre and Marshall approach from the north and fall in behind Spalding and TD. She scoped ahead of them out another 200 yards and saw movement to the team’s right behind a small building that they couldn’t see through. “Team Leader, Over watch. You have activity 200 yards ahead, behind that yellow building. Unknown number. Over.”
“Copy that.” Spanky said, “Third Squad, go silent.” Sanchez watched them screw suppressors on to their weapons, never missing a step as they advanced toward the building. As they double timed it to the side of the building, Spalding used hand signals to send the Padre and Marshall to the east side of the building. Spalding and TD ducked low to stay below the windows and advanced to the west side.
“Tangos on the south side, boss. Twenty yards tops.” Sanchez whispered into their ears. She received a click in response.
“Team Leader, Mobile Command. Tangos are converging into one group again. If you’ll hold your position, I’m bringing the drone around for another pass. Give me 20 seconds.” Jackson said calmly into their ear buds.
He, too, received a single click. Sanchez watched as Hank pulled his fist to a halt position and held it for Marshall, his ear turned to listen to the tangos behind the building. Marshall adjusted the ring site on his P90, turning the REM T-3 LED indicator lower for the low light conditions.
“Affirmative, Team Leader. Group has reformed to your south and is about to breach your west side.” Jackson stated.
“Go.” Spalding whispered. Sanchez watched as Hank spun the corner as soon as her ear registered the command, Marshall right on his heel, Spalding opened fire on the first vamp that came into his field of vision, TD stepping to his left and dropping low to do the same.
Sanchez sighted in and fired on distance targets that neither could engage at close range that might break away from the group, starting at the far end and closing in. In short order, she had run out of tangos and soon heard Spalding order in her ear, “Cease fire, cease fire. All tangos down.” There was a series of clicks and static then he came back, “Mobile Command, are you picking up any strays with the drone, over?”
“Negative Team Leader, all clear from here.”
Sanchez was still checking the area when she heard something snap behind her. She glanced over her shoulder to see a vampire standing behind her. “Contact! On the ridge! No Over watch, repeat, no over watch, engaging!” She rolled as she called into her lip mic and pulled her P90 from her upper back just in time to shoot the vampire up the middle, ending with its head. The vampire had jumped to tackle her and landed where she had been laying, covering the team below. She looked beyond where it stood and saw a wave of oncoming vampires. “There’s a shit-pot more of them up here guys! You better hustle your asses or I’m toast!”
“Rerouting drone, Over watch, hold your ground.” Jackson stated.
“Like I have a choice?” she muttered as she began choosing her shots. She knew that she had to be careful. The P90 submachine gun would empty a fifty round magazine in 3.3 seconds in full auto. She was trying to keep her shots at semi-auto, but found it difficult. The semi-transparent magazine made it a little easier to tell when she was getting low on ammunition, but in the dark, with the dark amber plastic magazine, it was still difficult to tell. At best guess, she was facing at least thirty vampires, and they were advancing quickly. She was placing her shots as best she could, two to the chest, two to the head, watching the bodies drop, but for every vampire she dropped, two more filled the space.
She changed magazines as quickly as she could, but it lost her precious seconds and the vampires were advancing on her position. She was too close to the edge of the drop off and even with the augmentation, she knew that she’d not survive the fall. She wasn’t worried about being bitten, but she was worried about being rent limb from limb.
“Hold on Maria, we’re on our way.” Hank said. She could hear him huffing as he spoke.
“I’m holding them as best I can, Two, but I’m running out of ammo!” panic rising in her voice. “Where the hell are they coming from?!” she yelled.
She heard a sound that sounded like a giant zipper ripping the sky open and watched as fire flew from the heavens to her right. Bodies exploded and a giant path erupted in the middle of the advancing va
mpires. “Bought you a little time, Over watch. Keep the fire going while we come around for another pass.” Jackson spoke in her ear.
“I’m on my last carbine mag. About to switch to pistol.” She reported.
“Understood.” He replied.
“We’re almost to you, Three.” TD reported to her.
“Lose the suppressors!” Spalding barked.
The sky lit up again and the giant zipper sound came once more, this time from her left as another large swath of bodies erupted, limbs, blood and gore spewing into the night air. Sanchez dropped the last of those close to her just as her carbine spit the last of its ammunition. She flung it across her back and drew her pistol.
She was just taking aim on the advancing horde when she saw her comrades come up from behind the vampires, muzzle flashes indicating it as them and not another wave of vamps. She saw metal flashing in the moonlight and was mesmerized as Hank became a slicing machine, cutting his way to her through the monsters that lay before him. Shreds of clothing, sprays of black blood, great renderings of gore and brain sprayed through the night air as he sliced and slashed a path to her.
When he finally appeared before her, his blades dripped with blood, his body splattered with the remains of his enemies and Sanchez realized that she had never fired a shot from her pistol. “Sorry it took me so long, Maria.” Hank smiled, his chest heaving from the exertion. She realized it was the first time she had ever seen him smile. Perhaps it was the fact that he got to turn into a human blender on their bloodsucking asses?
“No worries, Hank. I knew you’d make it.” She smiled back at him.
He reached out with a tentative hand and held her face. “Are you hurt?”
“No. I’m fine.” She said sheepishly, her face suddenly feeling flush.
“Good.” Hank turned. “Darren, where could these things have come from?”
“Beats the living dog shit out of me, Padre.” He keyed his mic. “Mobile Command, we have a problem.”
“I’m aware, Team Leader. We’re going over everything and I’m on the horn with our field op. We’re trying to figure out where these guys came from as well.” Jackson said. “Stand by. We have a cleanup crew en route, but in the mean time, assume this was another ambush. We’re going to keep the drone in the air and start a grid search. We also have an Apache inbound for more air support.”
Spalding let out a heavy sigh. “Copy that Mobile. Keep me updated.”
“Roger that.”
Spalding squatted down and looked over the killing field of baby vamps. “Does this smell like three day old fish to anybody else?”
Hank raised his hand. The three new squad members looked to each other and shrugged. “Think about it. If you’re going to set an ambush, are you going to use baby vamps?” He walked over and kicked one of the bodies over. “Look at this.” He said, pointing out the mouths. “They’re already starting to ash.”
The new members still didn’t get it. Hank filled them in. “They’re only days old. Not something you’d trust to pull off an ambush.” He shook his head. “No. Somebody was trying to build their own army of baby vamps.”
“But somebody took the time to ‘turn them’. These aren’t survivors of a bite, these things were turned. There’s a difference.” Spanky said. “Who takes the time to turn a small army and then lets them loose on a feeding frenzy that they know will get them killed?”
“Somebody who was trying to draw us out?” Sanchez asked.
“I don’t know. But this doesn’t feel right.” He stood and looked out over the area they had just been at. “Divvy up the P90 mags so Maria has ammo for her carbine.” He reached into his pouch and tossed her a magazine. “Sanchez, get back to Over watch and keep an eye on the town. We’re going door to door if we have to. I’m making sure this town is scrubbed before we leave.”
10
Foster stepped out of the limo and walked the length of the dock to the small craft tied up at the slip. “Seriously? This is the best the great Rufus Thorn can send me?” he laughed. “Oh my god, things must be really tight for the old boy.” He said as he stepped down onto the Monterey and took a seat in the rear. As his body guards started to step on to the craft, the pilot held up a hand.
“I’m sorry, but only Monsieur Foster is allowed to the island.” The two bodyguards looked to Foster.
Foster smiled a large toothy grin. “I don’t think so, pal. I don’t go anywhere without these two clowns. They’re my personal…entertainment.” He grinned.
“I’m afraid Monsieur Thorn was quite clear, sir. Only yourself.” He smiled apologetically.
“Well, fuck this. If they don’t go, I don’t go. It’s that simple.” He said sarcastically.
The pilot sighed. “I was really hoping you would not insist.” He pulled a device from his pocket and held it up in the moonlight. “Monsieur Thorn was quite clear, Monsieur. If you did not come by yourself and I had the opportunity, I was to detonate the craft with you and as many of your people as I could take with me.” He stated sadly.
The guards took an instinctive step backward and Foster’s eyes widened.
“The blast radius would easily clear two city blocks. The hull is lined with C4 plastic explosive.” He sighed. “You could not reach a safe zone before I hit the button, Monsieur.”
Foster stared the vampire down. Finally he broke into a broad smile. “What the fuck, Pierre. Anchors away! Let’s get this party started.” He exclaimed sarcastically. Paul looked over at his guards, “If I’m not back by morning, go back to the warehouse and await word. If I don’t contact you by nightfall tomorrow…I’m dead.” He said flatly.
The pilot started the small craft and the guards tossed the lines into the boat. He piloted the Monterey away from the dock and headed toward the island as quickly as the waters would allow.
Foster moved closer to the pilot’s seat and noticed he still held the device in his hand. “Would you have really blown yourself to hell to kill me?”
“Oui. In a heartbeat Monsieur.” He said happily.
“Of course you would.” Paul sat back in the seat next to the pilot. “Are you a goat sucker, too?” He didn’t wait for a reply, “Of course you are, if you work for Rufus. All of you are goat suckers, right? Lamia Beastia, correct?” The pilot ignored his jab. “Don’t you miss it? Feeding on a human like you’re supposed to?”
“Non. Just because we need blood does not mean we need to kill humans to survive.” He explained.
“Of course not. Top of the food chain, and all that.” Paul sat back, staring out at the water. After a while, he asked the pilot, “Do you actually know where we are going?”
“Oui. There!” he said, pointing to a series of lights in the distance.
Paul stood and he could just make out a dark silhouette in the distance, lights blinking along the shore and up and down the castle walls. “Well, I’ll be a son of a bitch.”
The pilot laughed. “Oui. You are.” He laughed again.
A short time later he pulled the Monterey alongside a short pier and tied it off. The pilot stepped off and offered Foster a hand out. Of course, Foster ignored the man and stepped off on his own, nearly falling. The pilot ignored his insult and escorted him to the castle grounds.
Foster could just make out creatures darting about the edges of the woods and was sure that wolves were on the island. It made sense, but still it made him uncomfortable. He wasn’t sure if perhaps Thorn intended to use him as a midnight snack for his dogs. And here he forgot to bring any Scooby-snacks to toss at them should they come to sniff his crotch. As long as they don’t try to hump my leg, then maybe we won’t have an issue. He thought to himself.
They crossed the open courtyard and entered the estate. Paul vaguely remembered this castle. He had been to a few of Thorn’s homes back when they were friends and this one seemed familiar. The lack of landscaping threw him, though. The castle seemed somehow wrong being on an island off the coast of the states. It should be back in Eng
land or the south of France or…hell, anywhere but an island.
Foster was escorted to Thorn’s study and entered the room, decorated in French provincial. Books lined the shelves while tapestries and old paintings hung from the walls. An ancient area rug set the tone of the meeting place where history would be made. Or it would absorb his blood, depending on whether Thorn was truly a vampire of his word.
Rufus sat in one of his classical high backed chairs and didn’t stand when Paul entered. “I would say I love what you’ve done with the place, but you moved it to a fucking island, Rufus. What were you thinking?” Paul asked.
“That I prefer the ocean breeze.” Thorn responded flatly. “Besides, the new world always had a certain… je ne sais quoi…there is just something about it that makes me ‘happy’. I’m sure you wouldn’t understand.”
Foster chuckled. “Oh, I do. I’ve made it my home as well. Lots of nice, fat Americans just ripe for the plucking. Or should I say, ‘sucking’?” His face reflected every bit the predator he was.
“I’m certain.” Thorn’s distaste for the man was obvious.
“Well. Are we going to do this?” Foster asked. “I wondered if you were going to kill me, but you could have done that on the boat ride here.”
Thorn raised an eyebrow.
Foster leaned forward in his chair and smiled. “Or did you want to do it face to face so you could watch me squirm? Did you hope to hear me beg for my life?” He plopped back in his seat and hooked a leg over the arm. “I won’t do it, you know. I refuse to give you the satisfaction.” He flicked at his fingernails as if Thorn were an afterthought.
“I thought you offered a blood alliance?” Rufus stated. “Of course, if you prefer to die…I can arrange that as well.”
Foster glanced away from his fingernails. “Well. I suppose we could go ahead and form this little alliance. It would seem the proper thing to do considering we both wish to stop the Blood Apacolypto, yes?”
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