INCURSION: Knightmare (Knight's Bane Trilogy Book 1)

by Bryan Donihue

  Agent Smith reached over and put on a pair of white gloves, the same ones that art and antiquities dealers use to handle rare or fragile items. He then reached over to a closed file lockbox at his right side and opened the lid. One by one, he reached into the lockbox and withdrew a heavy, white envelope. Each one looked like it was made of leather and had a wax seal over the flap on the back. Reading the name embossed on each envelope, he walked around the table, handing out the appropriate envelope to each team member. After watching intently, Burt realized that Agent Smith was careful to never make contact with the person to whom he handed the envelope and that he distributed each envelope individually, never holding more than one at a time.

  As John took his pouch, he noticed a weird language written on the seal. As he looked closer, he realized that it looked like the Enochian language that he had read about. Called "Celestial" or "Angelical" by the sixteenth century mathematician and occult philosopher John Dee, it was said to be the first language spoken, and the language of angels. It was later called Enochian because the last person on earth to speak it was the biblical figure Enoch.

  Pulling a glasses case out of his pocket, John opened the case and replaced his normal glasses with the ones found in the case. The "glasses" that he put on looked like a weird mechanical contraption with multiple spindly arms that held different lenses and could be flipped up and down as needed. John flipped a particular set of lenses down and observed that the wax seal itself had a faint blue glow to it. Pushing that set of lenses out of the way and flipping another one down, he detected a faint green energy glow on the envelope itself.

  Whistling softly, John looked at Agent Smith who was once again standing at the head of the conference table and remarked, "Can I get one without the glowing letters and spooky green glow?"

  Agent Smith smiled. "No, Mr. Smith. I'm afraid that the paperwork comes standard with that 'spooky green glow' that you mentioned." Addressing the rest of the team, he continued. "Before you open the pouches in front of you, I want you to be very clear about a couple things that will happen when you do so. You might experience a wave of energy or a slight tingling sensation on your fingertips and in your hair. Some have also reported other strange sensory phenomena. I assure you: that is normal.

  "This is your last and final chance to not join this team. If you choose to stop now, you will go back to where you were when I recruited you. No harm. No foul. No Take-backs. Does anyone want to exercise that option now?" Smith paused to see if anyone would take the deal.

  When no one responded, he continued. "If you would now open your envelopes, taking care not to touch any of the materials from another teammate. Inside you will find a contract and a pen. Please pull both of those items out and begin reading the contract. This is your term of service, and it details our agreement with you. A large part of this contract explains that this agreement will bar you from mentioning Section 28, what you do, or what you are hunting, except under certain, very explicit, circumstances. Even the existence of Section 28 is classified as 'Top Secret - Black,' and is on a need-to-know basis.

  "On the back page, there is a spot to sign your name and date it. When you pick up the pen and begin to write with it, you may feel a slight pinch in one of your fingers. This is supposed to happen. At that time, your blood will be taken and mixed with the ink when you sign the contract. Each of your contract agreements is exactly the same, except for Doctor Sorenson's. Hers is slightly different due to her position with the Vatican. At this time, please read through the agreement and sign where indicated."

  The teammates all opened their envelopes and began to read their contracts. As John read through the contract, certain phrases seemed to leap out and implant themselves in his brain: "...Secrecy Geas will be enforced...." "...Limited license to kill paranormal...." "...Incursion-level events...." "Housing, weapons, and esoteric research..."

  More of these phrases rattled through his vision, and John was filled with a mixture of fear and excitement. Along the edges of the agreement, John noticed more of the Enochian markings, both along the sides and across the top and bottom of each page. The further along he read in the contract, he realized that the lettering on the sides of the agreement actually started to glow a faint neon green. For every page he turned, the markings became a bit more prominent and the glow went a bit lower on the next page. When he reached the end, all of the ancient script except the bottom of the page glowed. John held the pen and put the old-fashioned nib to the line to sign his name. As he began to sign, he felt a pinch and a tingle in his fingers, and the black ink from the pen began to change to a deep maroon. As he placed the final stroke and dated the agreement, the script across the bottom of the page flared to life, and then the glow on the entire agreement faded.

  John put down the pen and looked at his hands. He could not see any wounds caused by the pen. As he looked up, he noticed everyone else examining their hands as well. One by one, they looked around at each other as they exchanged deeply disturbed expressions. The questions and surprise floating around the room were almost tangible, and Agent Smith cleared his throat to get everyone's attention.

  "Now that you have signed your agreements, would you please place the contract back into the carrier pouch with the pen. Then simply press the flap to the seal and it will close."

  A series of blue flashes around the table confirmed that all of the team members' pouches were sealed. In an orderly and meticulous fashion, Agent Smith walked to each team member, one at a time, to retrieve the pouches. After he had gathered all the pouches with the same care that he had shown when he handed them out, he placed the pouches inside the box, closed the lid of the file carrier, and muttered a few words in a strange language. A small blue flash from the locking mechanism indicated that the box was sealed with the same energy as the pouches. At this, Agent Smith peeled his gloves off and turned back to the assembled team.

  "Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to formally welcome you to the Department of Homeland Security, Section 28. As of now, you are officially agents assigned to Team Knightmare."

  9

  KNIGHTMARE

  SECTION 28 CONFERENCE ROOM , LANGLEY, VIRGINIA.

  Agent Smith reached to his left and grabbed a stack of identification holders that was sitting on the table. Opening the top set of credentials, he read the name and began passing them out. "Special Agent Burt Holstein. Your new radio call sign will be 'Six.' As team leader, you will coordinate and lead the team on assignment."

  Turning to John, Agent Smith handed him his credentials. "Special Agent John Q. Smith," Agent Smith said with a smile. "Your new call sign is 'Spooky.'. Use your electronics wizardry to find the monsters for your team to kill."

  As he handed out the next set of credentials, he said, "Special Agent Rebekah Callahan. You like to blow things up, I think 'Boomer' is rather appropriate for your call sign."

  The next set of credentials went to Jesús. "Special Agent Jesús H. Rivera. Your job will be sniper and overwatch, making sure your team doesn't get bushwhacked. I do believe that tradition says you should be called 'God.'"

  Noelle smiled at Jesús and said, "Little 'g.' Don't forget it."

  Agent Smith turned to Noelle. "And, Doctor Sorenson, that leaves us with you. Special Agent Noelle Sorenson. Not only are you the team's resident vampire hunter and esoteric specialist with Vatican training, you are also a trained trauma doctor. I do believe that 'Doc' would suit you well on the radio."

  "The credentials I just gave you prove your identity with Homeland Security," said Smith as he addressed the whole team. "If anyone questions the validity or authority of your credentials, have them call Homeland Security with your badge/ID number. They will be transferred to this office, and we will let them know that they are stepping into a pile of crap. Also, tucked into the credential wallet is a government credit card with your name on it. Use it for anything you need. Just make sure you bring back receipts for the auditors.

  "When you are on assignment,
your authority trumps local law enforcement, the local FBI field office, and even the Secret Service, if it escalates to that point. You have the full authority to do your job and to protect America, and humanity, from the scary monsters that others simply cannot deal with. When you are not on assignment, you are to use your discretion on exercising that authority. If you suspect that we have a monster around, then use your authority to get the help you need. Do not abuse the authority just because you can. If you do, the 'geas' that you just signed in blood will make your life miserable if you abuse it."

  John spoke up, a smile forming as he talked. "So, this is kinda like psychic paper, only it actually has something on it? Cool."

  Agent Smith returned the smile, a bit bemused at the reference. "With the exception that you are not, nor will you ever be, a time lord. And you, John, would not look nearly as good in a trench coat and scarf."

  Rebekah and Burt started laughing, and John sheepishly turned red. Noelle and Jesús looked at the team, and then at each other and shrugged, clearly not getting the reference.

  After several moments, Agent Smith cleared his throat to regain the focus of the group. "Now that you all know who you are, I'd like to tell you why you are here." He paused briefly, looking at each team member, and then continued. "All of this briefing is classified.

  "Throughout history, there have been stories and reports of strange animals, evil creatures, and unexplained phenomena. While most people believe these are just tales, we have found out that the tales have at least some basis in fact. As best we can tell, there are certain locations where the boundary between our reality and another reality, another plane of existence, or another place, grows thin and weak. This weakening is rarely permanent, and often appears in locations where it has not previously occurred. Sometimes, this makes the boundary thin enough that something from the other side can pass through the barrier. At other times, the barrier thins, and the fears and dreams of the people nearby allow their deepest fears to manifest in our reality. We call these crossings 'Incursion.'"

  Smith could tell that he had his agents' attention. Their expressions ranged from rapt concentration to disbelief to an amused nodding. The one nodding and smiling was John, and Smith knew that he would have his hands full trying to keep John in check. Smith would have to keep the young intel specialist busy.

  Smith continued with his explanation. "It is a relatively well-known fact that Adolf Hitler had a fascination with the paranormal. From collecting religious artifacts believed useful to gaining power, to trying to communicate with the dead, to somehow using this thinning reality to help conquer the world, Hitler was a growing threat on the esoteric and paranormal front.

  "On June 13, 1942, the Office of Strategic Services was formed as an intelligence agency during World War II. One of the smaller, but still substantial, concerns that affected the formation of this new agency was the threat represented by Hitler's esoteric research. Between Section 27 and Section 29 of the Presidential military order that formed the OSS was a small redacted notation labeled 'Section 28 - Top Secret (Black)'. Only a handful of people knew about the formation of Section 28 and to even reveal the existence of this program was considered High Treason. During wartime, a treason charge like this would have meant a swift trial and execution.

  "In that original Section 28, this office and complex was formed and began hiring agents and training those agents to fight monsters. When the OSS was dissolved in 1945 for the creation of the CIA, the small redacted notation about Section 28 was again added to the charter. While it was technically no longer 'Section 28' of the new charter, the name and reference remained.

  "When the Homeland Security Act of 2002 was passed on November 25, 2002, there was once again a redacted Top Secret (Black) notation that reassigned the offices and personnel of Section 28 to the Department of Homeland Security. Our credentials switched from the CIA to DHS, but nothing else really changed.

  "Our mission is to hunt down and either manage these incursion monsters, destroy the incursion monsters, or send them back through the Incursion. There are some creatures who come through, with whom we, and other governments, have certain agreements. Those we work with to protect our citizens. Other creatures come through, we call them monsters. These are the ones that we have to hunt down. We either kill them, or we send them back through the Incursion. This is now your mission.

  "To that end, you have virtually carte blanche access to equipment, tools, weapons, and research. Each Incursion is assigned a priority color, from no priority 'Blue,' then 'White,' 'Yellow,' 'Orange,' 'Red,' 'Ultra-Red,' and 'Black,' in ascending order. A priority Black means that the world is actually going to end if we don't get the call right."

  Smith paused to catch the eye of every team member around the table. He wanted to make sure that they understood this next part very clearly.

  The senior agent continued, "To help protect America from the very teams designed to save her, the contract you signed has a geas on it that will tear you apart from the inside out if you intentionally betray your team or Section 28. I watched one former agent turn a gun on the team as soon as he learned the truth. The fire that immolated him after he pulled that trigger for the first shot left nothing except ash."

  Agent Smith was melancholy for a moment, and then seemed to visibly shake himself out of it. "As much as I'd like to begin your training this morning, I'm afraid that you are going to have to do some on-the-job training. Last night, we received a Priority Red Incursion. The target area is Trinidad, Colorado. With a population of just under nine thousand, this small town sits about an hour and a half south of Pueblo.

  "They have had five murders in the last month and a half. No commonality among the victims except they were drained of fluids and had 'animal marks' on their ankles, wrists, neck, and inner thighs. There have also been ten people reported missing within that same timeframe. The local sheriff has not connected the murders to the disappearances yet, but he has called in the FBI Behavior Analysis Unit to profile the killer. Thoughts?"

  Noelle immediately spoke up. "You are obviously thinking vampires. Any idea how many?" she questioned.

  Agent Smith smiled and then answered, "Frankly, Doctor Sorenson, I would have been disappointed if you had not come up with that option. Yes, we are thinking vampires, and the analyst team believes that there are only one or two vamps, and that they are fairly new vamps, possibly turned by an Incursion.

  "You will have access to records and Section 28 information on your flight to Trinidad. I really want to give you more time to train and prepare for this job, but I cannot let a Priority Red go while you guys are active. Your fire team has all seen combat of one sort or another. This should be a fairly simple run for you. Watch your backs, take care of these monsters, and try not to get your face on TV."

  Smith motioned for the team to rise.

  "OK, first stop is back to your quarters to grab your tactical BDUs and pack a small bag for clothing and essentials. We've provided duffle bags for your deployments. This should only last a couple days. When you have your bags, drop them in the area outside the entrance to your barracks marked 'Deployment' and head to the warehouse for outfitting.

  "Once you have your gear, head to the airfield out back. The jet should be fueled and waiting for you. You need to be 'wheels up' in one hour. Gretchen is waiting outside to guide you back to your quarters and then on to the plane. Any questions?"

  The abrupt reality of their impending deployment stifled any questions that were forming from the briefing. Seeing no questions, Smith dismissed them. "Alright then, welcome to Section 28. Go kill some monsters."

  The walk back was quiet, as each team member tried to absorb his or her new reality. When the team returned to their barracks, they found several boxes waiting for them. Stacked in the commons area, each box had a name on it. Burt stepped forward and started passing them out to the team members.

  When John opened his box, he found all of the customized electronics that had bee
n confiscated from him when he had first arrived. Sitting in the carefully packed box was his laptop, all of his electronics tools, several thumb drives, and a special wristband. Handcrafted over the course of a year, John's wristband covered most of his forearm and looked similar to plastic sleeves that college quarterbacks wear to keep track of plays and strategy. Inspired by those wristbands, John had designed and built the wristband as a full-capability touch-screen computer. And it was faster and more powerful than the desktops sitting in most homes. Gathering his gear, he ran into his room to pack a bag.

  Jesús opened his rather long box to find a rifle case inside. Opening the case and checking the serial numbers, he confirmed that this was, in fact, his heavily customized personal M24-A3 rifle. Checking the action, he realized that it had been thoroughly and professionally cleaned. Although there was no ammunition or magazines with it, he felt like he had just found a long-lost friend. He packed the rifle back in her case and strode to his apartment to put on his tactical gear.

  Rebekah's box contained a small assortment of personal electronics and a small necklace-sized velvet box. Rebekah opened the box and blinked away the tears. There was a small note from her former commanding officer, Chief Warrant Officer Harold Goodwin. The note read, "I fought for this. Orders came through the day after you left. Good luck." Underneath the note was a small collar pin of an eagle clutching a fouled anchor. A certificate inside the box announced that she was (then) Chief Petty Officer Rebekah Callahan. She placed the items back in her box and went into her room to pack.

  Noelle opened her small box and found a package addressed to her from the Vatican. Opening the small package, she found a note from the Prefect. "Dr. Sorenson, I've enclosed one of the books from the Library. I do believe that this will help you in your assignment. Go with God." Looking at the book, she felt the worn leather binding and saw the title Cum Praeliorum Creaturae. Noelle translated the title, Of Battles with Creatures. Noelle said a silent prayer of thanks, for the book she was holding was written by one of the Order's most prolific monster hunters. It was his battle diary. Noelle wandered toward her room lost in thought.