Eclipse of the Soul: The Interdimensional Saga, Book 2

by J. L. Hendricks

  “Wait Lancer, I know what you are going to say, but you are wrong. I did the right thing.”

  “How did you know I was going to say that?” Lancer looked at me with a quizzical expression on his face that turned to worry as he thought about what that might mean.

  “I told you, I think I am developing a new ability. And I most definitely heard you telling me I did wrong before you could say it. This means I know I can read minds.” I gave him my most angelic smile while looking back and forth between him and Maliki.

  “OK, Maliki get this ripper over to the alley, and don’t forget his head. Benden called in a cleanup crew.” Lancer took my arm and walked me back across the street so we could talk some more. Most likely so he could yell at me.

  ◊◊◊

  After we arrived back at HQ the Commander asked for a briefing. I thought for sure that Lancer would get me kicked off his team. Instead, he surprised me by saying I did a good job helping Maliki kill the ripper.

  Once everyone left the room, I approached Lancer and asked him why he said that.

  “If I told him the truth you would not be allowed back out with us again. I am not sure what he would do with you. That is why it is so important you follow my orders right now. I don’t want you to be sent away, or worse. And I know that Ash would do something stupid if I let you get sent away.”

  I wondered why he was trying so hard to protect me, when he has only been mean to me. But I did agree about Ash. Even though there wasn’t anything romantic going on, I think Ash saw me as someone he needed to protect, plus we were friends.

  “Ok, I’ll work harder to obey your orders. Thank you.” I said while looking directly into his eyes. I never noticed before what beautiful eyes he had. They reminded me of a storm cloud on a dark winter night. It made me want to snuggle up with him in front of a fireplace. He had this very intense look that made my stomach flutter with butterflies. It was starting to get uncomfortable, thank goodness for Ash!

  “Hey guys, what’s going on? Lancer you aren’t still yelling at B’Lana are you?” Ash said while staring down Lancer.

  Lancer took that moment to move his eyes to Ash. “No, we were just discussing the op, I wasn’t yelling at her.”

  “Ok good, because she kicked butt out there today. She needs to be on all of our missions now.” Ash said as he considered me and smiled.

  I took one look at Lancer’s scowl and then turned my head to the ground while trying to hide my smile. Ash knew how to make me happy.

  Benden came in and suggested we should all go out and celebrate. He wanted to go to an arcade or something since we had nothing to do at the warehouse.

  That’s when I got the idea to make some changes to the warehouse. I smiled and laughed to myself when Lancer said, “What? Is something funny about going to an arcade?”

  “Nope, I love arcades. But why don’t we have a game room here? I mean you guys live and work here twenty-four seven. There isn’t even a living room with a TV to catch the news. Seriously, who decorated this place? The Commander?”

  Apparently, I was right…

  “Ok, why don’t we go out tomorrow and buy some furniture to make ourselves a gaming/TV room here? You aren’t using all of the space are you?”

  Turned out they were only using about three quarters of the space. So Lancer, Ash and I went out shopping the next day and I was able to get the warehouse set up with a nice, comfy living room. I asked Ash where they got their money and his response shocked me. They had an abundance of gold and precious jewels on their planet that they sold here on Earth.

  I think I am going to have some fun shopping!

  We had four couches and three recliners, which were set up so that we could see the sixty-five inch smart TV that Bender hung on the wall. I even purchased a PS4 and an Xbox One. The guys picked out mostly war games, but I was able to talk them into getting a Mario Kart game and even the old Xbox 360 Asteroids.

  Once we got the Wifi going on the TV it was easy to log in to Netflix as well. We had a pretty sweet setup where everyone seemed to want to hang out between assignments. I used that time to get to know the squad better.

  Somehow Mason was really good at all of the games we played. We stayed up all night long playing games and eating popcorn. Until then I really hadn’t spoken much to Mason. He was a quiet guy, but seemed very nice. Nishni was his best friend and he was still having a tough time getting over his death.

  Benden was a crack-up. He was constantly trying out earth jokes, and most of the time failing so miserably we all ended up laughing anyways. But we all paid for it the next morning…

  “SQUAD 1!” The Commander yelled so loud it startled everyone awake. We had all fallen asleep in the new living room.

  “What in the name of the two moons are you puke heads doing sleeping in here! Don’t you all have your own rooms? Get up off your lazy butts and get ready for work. We have some new intel to review and an op to run tonight.”

  I kept my mouth shut until the commander left the room, but then I started complaining. “Ugh, it’s too early to be up. We were up all night last night and an op tonight; shouldn’t we be sleeping all day?”

  “No, we sleep when we can and work the rest of the time. I shouldn’t have let you all talk me into staying up all night.” Lancer looked at me when he said that.

  “Wait, you were just as excited to try out the new games as the rest of us. Tell him Ash, he even challenged you to a Call of Duty contest.”

  “B’Lana keep me out this. I’m not getting in the middle of any argument you have with Lancer.”

  “Fine, I’ll go shower and meet you all in thirty.” I grudgingly said as I walked away to my room.

  Chapter Three

  I had a really tough time staying awake that day. I was sure I missed some important information during the briefing. But I figured that as long as I followed orders and stayed close to my squad I would be fine.

  As dusk settled we were all dressed in our black leather jackets. The guys preferred to wear black leather pants, while I preferred black camos. They were more comfortable and all of those pockets were great for holding extra ammo as well as a map and a flashlight. I even added an extra pair of socks. You never knew when you were going to have to stomp through a sewer and get your socks wet and stinky. I learned that one from the first time I saw the team come out of a sewer. It was disgusting; the smell was so strong that my eyes watered. I had to back up and get away from them before I got sick.

  My new boots were finally worn in and starting to get comfortable. I was all ready to go walking all night, as long as I didn’t fall asleep on the job.

  The commander was certain that the rippers regularly used the alley by Joe’s Taco Shack that we stumbled upon two days ago. His orders were to take the surveillance van and hang out at Joe’s and see if we could get any video of rippers coming or going through that alley.

  Since we killed all of the rippers that night Central Command was certain that the enemy didn’t know we found that spot.

  “Alright, B’Lana you stay in the van and monitor the video feeds with Benden. Maliki and Ash you will both go one block west and keep an eye on the alley as well as the surrounding streets. Radio in if you see anything.

  “Mason, you and I will hang out at Joe’s since it has a good view of the alley. Let’s stay focused and only use the coms if we see anything worth reporting.”

  The guys all filed out of the van and started making their way to their designated spots while Benden and I stayed in the van watching the video feeds.

  Benden spent the next hour telling me in excruciating detail how he played Call of Duty and Star Wars Battlefront last night. OMG! If he doesn’t stop talking about video games I’m going to kill him!

  “Hey Benden, have you ever been to Disneyland? They have a lot of rides there that are targeted to Star Wars fans. Have you heard of Hyperspace Mountain? That is one heck of a ride!”

  “No, we have never been to Disneyland. The comman
der doesn’t think we should be going to any amusement parks, even on our off days.”

  “Since when do you have off days? I have never seen any of you take a day off.” I had been with them for over a month now and they worked seven days a week.

  “We don’t ne…” Right at that point we heard Ash over the radio telling us he saw ten rippers come from the alley and were headed towards our van.

  “B’Lana and Benden stay where you are and don’t open the van for anything. We need you to continue monitoring the feeds and let us know what is happening with the rippers.” I heard Lancer telling us over the radio.

  “Lancer, two of those rippers are coming towards you at Joe’s. Ash the other six are starting to split up in two’s and going down different streets. I won’t be able to see them much longer. Should Bender and I go after two?”

  “Negative, I said stay in the van!” Lancer practically growled his response.

  “Geesh, you would think he is my dad or brother or something the way he is ordering me around.” I looked at Bender but he was focused on the monitors.

  We watched as Lancer followed the two rippers headed this way and then they went behind Joe’s. Since we did not have any video feeds back there we couldn’t see what was happening. Occasionally we heard some noise over the radio when the button would get clicked in the fight so we knew they were still fighting.

  I saw Ash and Maliki follow two rippers down a side street where we lost them on the video. They had no problem killing the rippers they followed as they radioed in once both had been dispatched.

  Benden called in the cleanup crew and gave them details and directions to where we were. He hoped the fighting would be done before they arrived. The cleaners were not fighters. They specialized in transporting the dead bodies back to Sendryl for either burial or cremation.

  Just then, Lancer radioed for help getting Mason back to the van. They killed their two rippers but in the fight Mason was badly injured. Benden ran out to help carry Mason back. I made sure to lock the van door behind him.

  I thought they were really quick when I heard a knock on the van door. So I opened it. We really needed more video cameras and a password…

  I was in shock when I opened the door and saw two rippers standing there leering at me.

  “What’s a human doing working with the Sennafae? I thought it was against the law to bring in humans to help them?” Stated the ripper who was wearing a dingy gray jacket with torn blue jeans and a beat up pair of Vans.

  “Isn’t that exactly what you’re doing? Turning humans into your suicide squads?” I said as I was looking over their heads hoping that Lancer and Benden were coming over.

  “Oh don’t worry about your friends. They are going to be busy for a while.” Dingy gray jacket guy said between laughs.

  Oh stink! This is why I am not to be left alone. What am I going to do now? I thought while trying to come up with a scenario that got me out of there.

  I tried closing the van door on the head of the other ripper as he was trying to get in, but he was too strong and I couldn’t get it closed. I did have a knife strapped to my side so I took it out quickly and was able to stab him in the face. I missed his brain, but did enough damage that he fell backward into the street screaming.

  I reached over to call on the radio for backup but ‘dingy’ grabbed me around my waist and pulled me back. I was kicking him and scratching his hands trying to get away from him. But just as I thought I might have him, two more rippers showed up. They must have known we were there and sent out the groups to circle around the block and come back to the van.

  “You have a choice, you can come along without any trouble, or you can be my next meal. Which will it be?” One of the new guys said. He seemed to care a little bit more about what he was wearing as he had on clean Skechers, designer jeans, and a black jean jacket. He also had a very nice watch on, looked like it might be very expensive. Tag Heuer maybe?

  “What are you going to do with me? I won’t fight your war for you. I would rather die than be a pawn in your games.” And I really meant that too. I would rather go down fighting then let them take me.

  “Don’t worry; we won’t hurt you if you come along quietly. We have some questions for you.” ‘Tag Heuer’ guy said.

  I didn’t want to get any of the humans involved as I knew they would be no match for four rippers, even if one was injured. So I went with them, quietly. But I continued to look for a way out of this mess. I knew that ripper wasn’t telling the truth and I was going to be hurt, eventually.

  I wondered what would happen if they tried turning me. Since I was already a hybrid fae, could I be a hybrid ripper? Or would the process kill me?

  We crossed the street and went down a different alley and I knew that I was in trouble. Ash wouldn’t know we went this way. I was hoping that we would cross his path on our way to the original alley they came from.

  But I kept scanning my surroundings. I saw several trash cans with lids. As we walked past one I grabbed the lid and hit the guy holding me over the head with it. And I tried to run. Even though I was fast, I was not fast enough to run past the ripper who was bringing up the rear.

  I did sense one behind me so I turned around and used that lid to try and sever his head. It wasn’t sharp enough, but I did hit his carotid artery and he went down. Maybe all of the blood would be enough to let Ash and Lancer know where I was.

  ‘Tag Heuer’ guy grabbed me and hit me across the face as I was trying to get past the rear guard. He hit me so hard I fell on my butt. “I told you to come quietly and we wouldn’t hurt you. Are you going to try taking on all of us at once?”

  I realized I didn’t have a chance. “No, I’ll come with you.”

  Blood dripped from my nose. And my back side was covered in dirt and who knew what else from the filthy ground. My blood was spattered on the wall to my left and a little pool had developed on the ground next to me. I hoped that worked as a beacon for the fae. I was counting on them to come find me before it was too late.

  They practically dragged me along. I tried to slow them down to give Lancer or Ash time to find me, but they must have known what I was up to. The ‘Tag Heuer’ guy stopped and looked at me in a way that made my skin crawl. “If you can’t keep up I could carry you. In fact, I might just do that anyway.”

  He reached around me and picked me up with an arm under my knees and one around my back. Then he did the most disgusting thing in the world, he leaned in and licked the blood off my mouth and nose.

  “Oh gross! Don’t touch me again! Put me down and I will walk with you if you never put your mouth on me again!” I shivered it was so revolting. He just laughed.

  “Mmmm, what a nice little snack.” He looked at me while he licked his lips and then started looking at my neck. That was when I put my hand around my neck so he couldn’t get to it.

  “Fine, if you don’t play any more games I’ll let you walk on your own, but you will be staying very close to me.” Tag Heuer said as he ran his nose along the hand over my neck, trying to get closer to my veins.

  He put me down on the ground and grabbed my left arm with his right hand and we kept walking.

  We came up to a manhole cover and ‘dingy’ opened it up. I looked around and knew my squad wasn’t coming for me.

  We all made our way down to the sewer with ‘dingy’ coming last so he could close the entrance.

  “Oh gross, you guys live down here? Really? This place smells so awful! How can you stand it?” My eyes started watering from the strong, pungent odors.

  “You get used to it. Now shut up and keep going. Your friends will never find you down here so don’t go getting any stupid ideas.” ‘Tag Heuer’ just looked at me and smiled an evil smile that made me think I was never getting out alive.

  ◊◊◊

  We walked all around the sewer tunnels for at least an hour before we finally made it to what looked like an old sub-station. The room was large and round with a domed ceiling. T
hey had several desks and a white board in one area of the room, and next to that was a couple couches. They looked very old and ratty, the kind I would not want to sit on.

  “Master, I have brought you the human who is working with the Sennafae. I tasted her blood and she has an odd flavor, it’s really quite sweet. Not like any humans I’ve had so far, but she isn’t Sennafae either.” Oh stink! ‘Tag Heuer’ could taste that I wasn’t fully human any more. I think I am in a lot more trouble then I realized.

  “And how is it that you tasted her blood? I told you I wanted her here unharmed.” The master said to the thing holding me. How did the master know I was in the van?

  “She would not come quietly so I had to hit her to keep her in line. It wasn’t that hard, just enough to give her a nose bleed. You can see her face is still pretty.”

  The vampire master looked at me with his red beady eyes and snarled at me. I couldn’t believe he actually snarled.

  “And why did you think you could do anything but comply with my First’s orders? You, a human girl. You have no chance with even one of my soldiers, let alone four.”

  I stood there silent. I was not going to answer him. I hoped that the longer I stalled the better my chances were for being rescued or finding a way out of this myself.

  “Answer me now, or I will take some of your blood for myself. And I won’t be kind about it either.” The master said as he sneered at me with a mouth full of sharp, yellow teeth. I tried very hard not to shiver or show fear.

  “I am human; it’s in my nature to fight back when attacked. Your… things attacked me for no good reason so of course I fought back. You really shouldn’t have tried to kidnap me. My friends will find me and in the process kill all of you.” I was confident that the little clues I left along the way would help Ash and Lancer to find me. I just hoped they found me in time.

  “Where are they, maybe we should deliver you back to their headquarters? Would you like to go back to them?” I knew the master was just toying with me. They only wanted the location of the fae headquarters. And I wasn’t going to give it to them.