“Fire.”
The barrels kicked back, a ‘whoomph’ sound coming out. The Polarus barely rocked. Darrell watched the cigarette boat explode into pieces, one body cart wheeling at least forty-five feet in the air before he lost the body to the stars.
Jean spoke again, “Captain, orders?” She listened, “Understood.” She switched channels. “Team stand ready; we are heading towards the Ad Aeternitatem. They don’t have our armament.”
Gabriel came back from the side of the ship where she had prepared to repel boarders. She spoke when coming up, “Anyone seen Michael or Stephen?”
——
On the Ad Aeternitatem, Captain Wagner was calm and collected. He spoke with Todd and Pete, “Men, we are about to have boarders, probably Nosferatu. I will move all crew I can into protected areas and lock down, but I can’t have anyone randomly on my ship and we can’t have anything happen to Bethany Anne’s spaceship. The Polarus is on its way but it will be at least five minutes before they can help. Suggestions?”
Pete was calm, Todd was calm but he understood what was coming at them so he asked, “Any chance we can get Bethany Anne to join us?” Pete nodded, it was a good suggestion.
“Unfortunately, no. I was able to listen enough to know she’s in the middle of something herself and can’t break.” There was a bright flash and explosion to port, all three looked in that direction, “That was probably the end of the boat attacking the Polarus. Maybe she will arrive a touch faster.” He turned back to them.
“I don’t want any casualties for us and I don’t want any of these bastards running around on my ship, is this understood?” Both men shook their heads and left the bridge.
Pete looked over at Todd as they walked, “Can your guys trust my team?”
Todd looked over at the young Were. “Why? What are you thinking?”
They reached the main floor, “Six of us, four of you. I’ve got a situation that makes me possibly need to work alone. I say make up two, maybe three teams. Let my team soak up as much damage as possible while your team shoots the fuck out of them. My guys know fighting, but we haven’t worked on weapons so far and I don’t think we want them doing that on a boat in the middle of this much water.”
Todd thought he was being rather dry with his wit with that comment. “Three sets of three?”
“Works for us, I’ll send Tim with two of yours, Matthew and Joel, with someone and then Joseph and Rickie with you.” Todd agreed and they went to finish suiting up.
All ten men met up on top of the ship, waiting for the speed boat to come within range before shooting. They didn’t hope to hit much, but better shooting off the ship than on.
His guardians had their weapons, some blunt, some sharp. Those that had sharp weapons were told to be careful around Todd’s marines. Pete started to get undressed when Todd looked back, “What the hell? Is this some sort of Werewolf rite of passage?” He honestly looked perplexed so Pete didn’t take offense. He had informed his guys what he was going to try and do.
“Trust me and don’t get between me and those assholes.”
Todd asked, turning his head back at the rapidly approaching boat, “Does this have to do with you being on the alien ship the other day?”
“Yes.”
Todd just nodded, “Stay out of the way of Pete everyone. I’m not sure what Bethany Anne and Pete have cooked up, but I want a front row seat. Ready to go?”
He got a bunch of, “oorahs!” from his guys.
Pete left on his pants. He would feel stupid if he was fighting with his tackle hanging out, never changing. He would risk a pair of pants getting ripped off. He was getting pumped up, all of his blood racing through his body. Fighting was what he wanted to do. Ever since John Grimes had slugged him on the airport field, he had wanted to be worthy, had wanted to have John’s respect and he had earned it. He had earned Nathan’s respect and even Gabrielle’s respect when he took over the pack. His father had called him, told him how amazed he was, how proud a father he was after he and Tim had their alpha fight.
Now, he was fighting for his own future. The future of the world to use a gift that had probably been intended to hurt people on his own planet. He needed to understand this final change and control it. He could feel his blood; feel the tension leave his body; the heightened senses that were muted before.
“Oh, fuck me sideways.” Pete looked to his left at Joseph, usually the quiet one. Someone had turned up the lights, he thought.
“What?” Pete’s voice was a little surly. Todd’s guys took a step back. Todd turned around to see Pete, with fur starting to cover his body, his fingers growing into claws slowly.
“Pete, I think Bethany Anne gave you an upgrade, buddy.” Todd pointed to his hands.
Pete looked down, clenching his hand, the two inch claws making it a little difficult to squeeze too hard. He looked down, his legs growing out of his pants.
He shrugged, his shoulders larger than before. He smiled, his mouth full of razor sharp teeth, making it hard to talk. He was able to get across his feelings as he watched the boat come closer. He walked towards the rail, clasping it with hands bigger, stronger than his normal hands. He looked over his left shoulder, then his right. All of the men grabbed their weapons. He turned back to the boat coming at them yelling in a deep baritone, “Bring it, Bitches!”
Todd yelled, “Rifleman, fire!”
The battle for the Ad Aeternitatem commenced.
The Nosferatu jumped out of the boat, heading up at the first blood they could smell. Pete’s team split to the left and to the right, the Marines jumping behind them. Pete ignored the small fry, seeing his target, the Vampire.
Manet had been a vampire for over thirty years. A fourth generation vampire, he was considerably stronger than his generation should be and often made third generation vampires walk around him. He was power walking, he was death and he was here to take this ship. He had been winged by one of the bullets and it had pissed him off.
Manet hissed at the enemy seeking to stop them from getting on the boat. He smelled the Were, but not knowing what to make of the mutant in the middle bellowing at him to ‘bring it’. Whatever the hell that meant. If he wanted a fight; however, Manet was more than willing to kill him first.
He bounded up the boat, grabbing a line and pulling himself straight at the soon to be dead furry guy.
He made it as far as the railing when both of his hands were clasped, swinging him up and over the rail to the deck. This fool was going to make it too easy.
That was when he belatedly realized the beast wasn’t letting go and the momentum didn’t allow him time to get his feet under him. His body was smashed into the deck, bones cracking.
Manet pulled his arms apart, but they were quickly pushed back together. This werewolf wasn’t weak, Manet felt the first tinge of concern that this wasn’t going to be easy. That was when two bullets slammed into his chest. His left arm was free! He tried to reach around to grab something for leverage when a large clawed hand grabbed his neck. He reached back to pull the arm away when the hand clinched, crushing his throat. He thought little else when the claw pulled back, tearing his throat apart.
Manet died on the deck of the Ad Aeternitatem, the first powerful vampire killed by a Changeling in single battle in over four centuries. Seconds later, the last gun blast fired, the final Nosferatu killed. Tim and Matthew went around, cutting off heads.
Pete looked around, anger and hunger running through his mind. Everything was clear for him, like daylight. He felt a hand on his shoulder and he snapped around. It was Todd. “Come back to us Pete. We need you too much. We’re done.”
Pete smiled, they had won, they had fought and the Guardians were 1-0-0. He took the feeling of the anger, the desire to continue dealing death and felt it through his body. Then he commanded it to leave. He would be the first, but he would not be the last. His people, his world and his Queen needed him to beat this. Pete took the anger and shattered it, releasing the
bonds in his mind and he could feel the energy leaving as he changed back to himself.
Pete Silvers, the little rich boy who had been slugged that day on a tarmac in New York was destroyed. Peter Silvers, the first and arguably the best Alpha of the Guardians stood proudly among the men who had protected this ship and these people from the death that had come for them. He looked around and held out his hand to Todd. They cemented a friendship that would be talked about for centuries and together they architected the first Guardians cadre’ of Marines.
The Wechselbalg Guardians would forever be paired with humans.
Together, the teams threw the bodies overboard. They laughed over who would claim the fast boat. It didn’t take long for the Ad Aeternitatem’s crew to come up top and help them grab the expensive boat before it floated away. Later, Rickie was lamenting how those bully marines had shot his beautiful boat. It took two seconds before three men jumped him, he was laughing as he changed it to, “Our boat, our boat!” They had made it to within three feet of tossing him overboard before dropping him on the deck.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Anton continued explaining his method to capturing her ships. “A few Nosferatu and a vampire for each boat and now they belong to me, well actually two vampires for your Polarus. I know you have the lady Gabrielle on board that one. I’m not an ass so I’ll let her decide if your ship is worth saving, or if she would like to live a few hundred years more. I’m sure she will see the right decision open up before her.”
Bethany Anne’s eyes went to both of the hulking brutes in the corners, “Friends?”
Anton smirked, “Of course, newly made, as it were. We’ve finally got a decent recipe.” He looked back to his right, casually talking as if explaining the benefits of purchasing a new car. “Stronger than the original version, able to take a significant amount of damage before it quits working. Working on the intelligence of course, but I would have to rate them a solid seven out of ten. Over all, something I can be finally proud to bring out in public.” He looked back at Bethany Anne, “Well, by ‘public’ I don’t mean daylight yet. But, you know, small steps and all of that.”
“I see, so just figured this little recipe out? Because, I have to tell you none of your other toys have been much of a challenge.”
It was Anton’s turn to be annoyed. She had reminded him of the many times she had messed up his plans. “Yes, well, I wasn’t aware of you before recently so I hadn’t exactly planned on your crashing my party. Well, like you’re doing again!” He smiled, “You weren’t really invited and yet here you are. I can only assume it had been to create mayhem and maybe a little revenge, hmmm? Clarita, not enough for you? I honestly didn’t have any direct effort or command to kill your friend in D.C., so you can’t lay that at my feet.”
Bethany Anne marveled at how the conversation was going, it was if the man thought that he would get a pass for the thousands he had killed in the past. “Martin was one of my best friends, a man who helped a lost women find direction in her life. An ear to bend when there was no one else to talk to, but then you probably don’t know much about that, do you?”
“Oh, au contraire! I was just listening to one of the research scientists bleed his heart out when he had misgivings due to the results of their efforts. I truly did listen and encouraged him to get it all off his chest.” Bethany Anne wasn’t positive, but she was pretty sure he hadn’t told a lie.
“Well, then you might be able to appreciate how it helps a person.”
“Yes, yes I do.”
Bethany Anne was perplexed. This wasn’t the way she had expected the conversation to go, but now she was too wrapped up in the story. “What happened to the scientist?”
Anton did that waving thing with his hand again, as if the end of the story was unimportant. “He was used to test the command abilities of my two friends here. I told you, he bled his heart out, right? I’m almost positive I said that.” Anton gave her a sincere smile at how he had worked the death of the scientist into his story.
Bethany Anne was wondering why she even cared, he was not only powerful, but obviously mentally unstable. She turned around and noticed George by the door. “You might want to move a few feet to your left.”
George looked at her funny and then looked at Anton who shook his head no, “She seeks to disturb you. What did you find on her?”
George pulled out a little pistol from his pocket, “Just this.”
Anton looked back at Bethany Anne.
She told George, “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” She turned back to Anton, “What?”
“Really?” He pointed to the little gun, “That isn’t enough to piss me off.”
She nodded, “I totally agree, but I should have help arriving in 3…” She turned towards the door and George jumped to the side, ready to get into action.”
“2.” Anton stood up, ready to command the two nosferatu to attack whatever came through the door.
He began to speak. “I don’t hear…”
“1.”
“Anything.”
Two supersonic rounds, from two sniper rifles chambered for .338 Lapau arrived from a half mile away so closely together you wouldn’t be able to tell which hit him first. Anton’s head exploded, brain matter spraying the wall and door in front of him, George was covered in gore, surprise evident on his face.
Bethany spoke as Anton’s mostly decapitated body slumped over the desk. “My friend always wonders ‘what is the bait’? Well Anton, I’m the bait.”
George spoke into the silence, “Oh God.” He was looking in her direction
She hadn’t made a move to attack him, but noticed he wasn’t directly looking at her, she turned quickly to realize the dumb stares the two Nosferatu had were being replaced by cunning looks.
Her eyes grew wide, “Oh, holy fuck.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Stephen felt the surprise and shock and understood it to come from Bethany Anne, then he felt pain.
Michael looked at him, “What’s wrong?”
“Something is wrong with Bethany Anne, I can feel it”
“How, where?”
Stephen stood up, “How do we get to where she is? She needs help!”
Michael rose with him, “Do you know what direction she is in?”
Stephen stopped, concentration etched on his face. He pointed out through the door, towards the coast. “That way.”
Michael nodded, “Come with me.” The two of them broke into vamp speed, racing down the corridor and up to the main deck. When Stephen arrived, Michael turned to myst and grabbed him, then started streaking towards the coast. Stephen was surprised to find himself inches above the waves, feeling more than seeing the area around him. Further, he could hear Michael’s thoughts, and his concern for Bethany Anne. Maybe feelings a father wouldn’t have for a daughter, hmmm Michael?
They were quickly approaching the bay, “Towards the left, Michael.” His thoughts sounding in both his mind and echoed from close by. He didn’t think this was how Michael normally communicated.
He felt another large bout of pain and an effort to speed up. Michael was connecting with him to get a direct connection to his feelings to Bethany Anne.
Bethany Anne was tossed over the side of the second story railing. She tried to twist around in the air and was successful in getting both feet underneath her. Unfortunately, she didn’t have enough time to get a good stance and ended up falling backwards across the floor to come to a painful stop against a piano leg.
“You cock-sucking shit bag!” She screamed. She was getting her ass kicked. But if she ran, they would focus on the other humans and that wasn’t a good thing. George had bolted as soon as he realized the Nosferatu were free. Well, no plan survives contact with the enemy. Especially when the stupid enemy had a dead man’s switch on two massive hulking pain-in-the-asses.
It was time to get some of her own back. Beast number one jumped at her from the second floor, aiming she figured, for her head.
She rolled out of the way and got up, “Look, you catatonic flea fucker…” She had to dodge as its partner unexpectedly came through a wall above her. In a second, she had the whole room to herself, the partiers having decided this wasn’t a safe room to be in.
She stood up, facing the two large Nosferatu, “Ok, you want to party?” Her voice descended, malevolence was the song, “Let’s fucking party.” Her eyes shot through with red, her fangs descended and the two Nosferatu charged as she ran towards them.
The clash was over in less than a second. One Nosferatu lay on its side, it’s leg cut off while the other screaming in rage, what was left of its arm spraying blood. Bethany Anne picked herself up off of the floor where she had landed. The wall being polite enough to stop her after she was thrown by the second beast.
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