Quickly, they split up into their designated teams and checked their radio contact. They didn’t want to leave anything to chance. If the Mortuorum had one of theirs, they could well risk the chance of taking another. There was a good chance that they wouldn’t all return, though not from the threat of further abduction, but from the bloody battle that they had in front of them. They were the Sons of Satrina and they had a job to do and each and every one of them would fulfil their directive to the best of their ability. This was the chance they took as a warrior. And this was the chance that they were willing to take to rescue Aisline. She was one of them.
Kelton motioned for Jackson to join his team. There was no way on this earth that he would allow the boy out of his sight. He may be willing to allow him to go on this mission, but there was no way that he was going to allow him to become a casualty of this war. They’d already lost one student, albeit temporarily. They weren’t losing another. No way.
Jackson put a hand on the dagger, testing the grip and positioning. Once satisfied, he stood in the uniformed way - feet planted shoulder width apart and hands clasped behind his back.
He was ready for this.
Moving out, the warriors split off and moved through a secondary exit door that headed over toward the garages that held their cars. The warriors that had come from the council had brought their own transport, and the Sons would use theirs. They had many vehicles at their disposal, including high end sports cars, which wouldn’t be appropriate for a mission such as this. They needed speed, but they also needed space. So, Kelton opted for the blacked out, pimped up SUVs, plucking keys off of the wall and tossing them to the designated drivers.
Crowding in, Kelton made sure that Jackson sat up front with him. He knew why the boy was here and respected his determination. But, he didn’t want his feelings for the girl to cloud his judgement and put anyone else in danger. They were here to do a job, keeping things professional. Feelings could come later, after they’d been successful in their extraction.
Setting off quickly, the convoy made their way across town. Kelton wanted to put his foot down more than anything else, but attracting the attention of the local police and drawing them to the location they were heading to would just ensure that there were further casualties of this battle. He didn’t want to endanger any more lives. The humans weren’t part of this - this was personal to the Lamia. The Mortuorum had crossed that line and now they were going to pay.
Heading out with caution, it didn’t actually take that long to get across town. After all, this was the middle of the night and there was very little human traffic on the streets. Pulling up a way away from the location, Kelton checked his radio contact with his team and the other leaders before exiting the car.
Jumping out of the car and into the shadows, the teams spilt off.
It was go time.
Jackson headed up behind Kelton. He had no choice, but if he had of, he would have chosen that to be his place. There was no way that he would have been able to sit on his ass back at the academy, doing nothing, while the others were out risking their lives in their to get Aisline back. Kelton had already told him to stick by his side no matter what, not to deviate, he was to be his shadow and stay with him or he was getting kicked out of the school. Period. No second chance. Gone. That was fine by Jackson. He knew that if anyone was going to be on the front line and have first shot at getting close to Ash, it was Kelton.
But, if it came to it, he’d risk his position at the academy and with the warriors to get Aisline out of there. If he saw a chance, he’d take it, with or without the express permission from the Master Warriors. That didn’t mean that he was going to go all soft and declare his love for her, but for some reason, it felt like it was his duty, his responsibility. He was meant to be the one to get her out of there. She was his friend. End of. He had to do this.
Their team consisted of Kelton, Jackson and six other warriors and as they jogged along in the shadows, Jackson knew that this was how it was supposed to be. It was a different feeling to that when he had been out on the field exercise only a few hours earlier. Was it really only hours? It felt like a lifetime ago. Since they’d learned of Aisline’s disappearance, time had stood still for him.
This was what he’d been born for. He was a warrior. It had just come a little earlier than planned. Their training exercise had felt too cushioned, like had been a calculated task for the most part. But, this was for real. It was a life or death situation and he was out kick some Mortuorum ass.
As they rounded the corner, Kelton signalled for them to be on guard.
Straight away, the hairs on the back of Jackson’s head started to rise. They were here. The enemy. He could feel them. He could sense them. And he was ready for them. He wanted blood.
Pausing, Jackson reached for his dagger and crouched down low. Turning the corner, Kelton started in a flat out run and Jackson followed close on his heels. A flash of movement to his right warned Jackson to unsheathe his dagger, ready to fight. And it wasn’t a moment too soon. Four Mortuorum fighters ran out at them. Stealth sure wasn’t their bag as they ran at them, shrieking and yelling, their war cries filling the air. The Sons turned and fought. Jackson didn’t need his weapon as these were clearly new recruits. All violent enthusiasm and no substance. Kelton and Jackson took them out with a few simple punches and round kicks, snapping their necks like chickens. All that was left of them was a rush of crimson blood, spreading in pools around their inert bodies.
The other four Sons stood back and watched. Turning to them, not even panting from the exhaustion, the others chuckled, although not with outright humour.
“Good going, man.” One of them said to Jackson, “We’re going to be redundant here if you keep going at this rate.
Jackson took the compliment in his stride and took up his position next to Kelton again. Any other time, he would have flushed with pride but here and now, there wasn’t the time for him to relish. He was doing only what he’d needed to do.
Kelton signalled for them to focus and get moving over the other side of the street again. He was pleased that Jackson had been able to handle himself so well and was glad that he didn’t regret the decision to bring him here. It was a risky business but they needed all the competent fighters they could get for this mission. Jackson was competent as long as he kept his head in the game. This is war. They would fight to the death. They were the Sons of Satrina. They’d get her back.
Standing with their backs against the wall, they stopped as Kelton radioed their position through to the other team leaders, mentally calculating the distance between each team, and totally up the death counts.
Once everyone else was in position, they simultaneously performed their raid on the building. They had to get in there fast. The whole place was covered in copious amounts of dirt and dust and decay, with weeds and garbage littering every available surface. The stench of death hung heavy in the air. The emptiness of the place echoed with past pain and suffering. Each footstep kicked up a cloud of dust. Just the sort of place that they would expect to find Mortuorum.
But, the Mortuorum weren’t taken by surprise. They’d been expecting them. They’d known that the warriors would come for them, come to retrieve their own. They were ready for them.
Their numbers were great and as soon as the Sons stepped foot in the building, the fight was on. Jackson had his dagger in his hand and slashed at the first Mortuorum who challenged him. Taking him out wasn’t as easy as those out on the street were, but he’d always thrived on a challenge.
Unceremoniously leaving the enemy lying in a pool of his own blood on the floor, he glanced about to check out Kelton’s location, finding him a few meters away, fighting off two of the Mortuorum. Jumping in, Jackson delivered a swift upper cut blow to one of them that nearly knocked his head clean off of his shoulders, leaving Kelton to face off with the other. He was dealt with in less than a second and Kelton turned and nodded a quick look of thanks at Jackson.
They both turned to fight the rest of the enemy in this section, but found that the enemy had been eliminated. These warriors were the epitome of badass.
Proceeding with the plan, they jogged through some double doors and into a dim corridor, heading in the direction of the rear of the building. Kelton and one of the other warriors headed up the team, checking the doors on either side of the hallway, their guns cocked and ready, making sure that the doors were either locked or that the rooms were void of Mortuorum, while the rest of them covered the rear.
At the end of the corridor, Kelton checked his gun, clipped in another round and listened. The sounds of fighting echoed from every corner of the building, gun fire sounding like a marching band parade. He could only hope, like in any battle, that the Sons were victorious.
With another signal, he swung open the door and they all prepared to fight.
But, there was no one there.
With a questioning glance at one another, they proceeded into the room, searching every corner, behind and underneath every piece of furniture, but there was no one, nothing.
Moving towards the other door in the door, they circled it, ready for an ambush, when out of the blue, the door behind them slammed shut. But, not before an alcohol filled bottle with a flaming rag stuffed down its neck was thrown into the room, engulfing the door and half of the room in raging flames.
Kelton shouted to the others to follow him and he turned to make his way to the other door, when he found it was locked tight. With an inhuman shout, he tried to turn the knob, and then ram the solid steel door with his shoulder, to no avail.
They were trapped.
Trapped in a room that was rapidly filling with fire.
They may have been vampires, but they were mortal, and fire or smoke inhalation would kill them as surely as it would a human, just taking longer and a lot more painfully. Kelton ran at the door again, but it wouldn’t budge an inch.
The rest of them started to work together to break the door down, but Jackson could see the futility of the situation. They were stuck in here and if they didn’t get out soon they were going all going to die. That door wasn’t going to budge and they had to find an alternative exit. Even if it was breaking down the concrete walls with their bare hands.
Looking around, he focused on the window. Sure, when they had entered the room, they had followed protocol and assessed the area for entrance and exit points, finding only the door they’d come through, which was now behind a wall of flames, and the other one, which was locked. And a window.
But the window was covered with steel bars that were screwed tightly into the wall.
Running over to it, Jackson starting pulling at the bars. They didn’t give at all. Yanking with all his might, he knew that they weren’t going to find another way out. This was it. He could only hope now that one of the other teams successfully extracted Aisline from this hell hole.
And just when he started to feel his strength failing, Kelton joined him, pulling at the steel. The others grabbed the bars where they could and together they pulled, and pulled. At first, there was only solid resistance, but gradually, they could feel the bars start to bend under the immense strength and pressure and the screws start to loosen from their anchors.
After a painstakingly long time, or so it felt, with the flames licking at their ankles, a corner suddenly shifted and the bars started to loosen further. Kelton shouted something, Jackson didn’t catch what it was, and they all wrenched the bars off of the window, sending the tangled steel to the floor with a deafening clang.
That was when Jackson fully registered how close the fire was to them. The temperature was unbelievably intense. He could feel the blush of heat racing over his skin.
Without another thought, he quickly removed his t-shirt, his chest heaving with rasping breath, sweat sparkling on his pecs in the firelight. He balled up the material around his hand, padding and cushioning it as best he could. Swiftly, he put a fist through the corner of the window, sending glass shards shattering in all direction, and quickly punching out the jagged pieces that were left in the frame, he hopped up and out of the window, landing in the cool night air.
The rest of the team followed quickly, landing in an undignified heap in the cool night air, just as the fire roared to attention. The oxygen from the broken window fanning the flames and driving the inferno through the room at a rapid pace.
Coughing and spluttering from the smoke, Jackson put his hands on his knees and dry heaved. Nothing came up, but the burning sensation in his chest choked his throat and smoke stung his eyes.
Kelton, coughing himself, laid a hand on his shoulder and with a raspy voice said, “Damn good work, son.” he was interrupted by another bout of coughing, “You and the rest of the team head back to the car. I’m going to catch up with Dixon and his crew.”
It was a sensible order. After all, they had all almost just died in that room but Jackson vehemently shook his head. “No.” he croaked. They were a team, and they were going to continue as a team.
“It’s a goddamn order. You’ve all done enough. I’ll get her out. You have my word.” Kelton looked green himself but Jackson was having none of it.
Using all the strength he had in reserve, he ignored the cramps in his stomach and the blaze in his chest to rise to his full height. “This is our mission. And I’m completing it.”
The other guys on the team all stood behind him, nodding in ascension, agreeing that their job was not yet done.
Kelton looked at them for a moment and saw the warrior determination in them all and couldn’t do anything but nod. They were right. They were here. They were alive, therefore they had to proceed. He couldn’t deny them the right to carry on if they were still fit and able.
Plus, despite being on the outside of the building, they were still the ones who were closest to where they suspected that Aisline was being held. They didn’t really have much of a choice. Luckily, they were all more than eager to step up.
With a roll of his eyes, Kelton clapped them all on their shoulders, proud in the fact that they wanted to carry on despite the injuries and pain sustained, and quickly radioed through to the others to update them as to what had happened.
With intermittent chokes from the smoke fumes, they made their way around the last corner of the building, only to see flames licking at the fire escape. Ironic, huh?
“For Fuck Sake!” Kelton roared. This was the area they were advised that it was most likely that Aisline was being holed up, and yet again, the only other way into the room was through a window - that was covered with steel bars, but from the outside this time. There was no way, after all the exertion on the other bars and after the damage from the smoke, they were going to be able to get that off of the wall.
Kelton quickly radioed to see what the other teams positions were, if any of them were within distance to assist, but they were all occupied fighting the remaining Mortuorum. Those damned beings multiplied like fleas. There had to be a hundred of the parasites here, and this was one of the biggest single battles that had been fought in decades.
They were on their own.
As Kelton turned to see if any of the guys had any ideas as to how to proceed, he saw Jackson rush at the window, grabbing the steel bars with his already bloody hands. Rushing to his side, Kelton tried to pull him away. It was a futile effort that would only end in more harm for Jackson.
“No!” Jackson screamed and turned with renewed vigour, pulling with all his strength. “She’s in there, I know she is. I can feel her in there! We’ve got to get this off or she’ll burn!”
They looked at each other for a moment before they all were putting their hands on the bars and adding their strength to his. There was nothing for it but to try. However, the bar wouldn’t budge.
Suddenly, a scream rang out from inside the building, pushing the men on further, knowing that they were so close yet so far.
The sound grated through Jackson, like nails on a chalk board. He heard
it and couldn’t help her. Couldn’t get to her and he couldn’t stop the fire. He was powerless.
The steel wouldn’t even bend under the force.
Jackson wouldn’t let this end here. There was no way that he was going to leave her in there to succumb to the flames. He would get in there. One way or another. Or he would die trying.
With a primal scream, Jackson braced his feet against the wall and yanked with all his force. Blood dripped in a steady stream from the cuts in his hands, the steel digging in deep, hands going numb from the sharp stinging. And there was a noise, a low grumbling of twisted steel and the bars began to bend under his powerful rage.
The others joined in and pushed against the wall with their feet, mindless of the pain and, miraculously, after some time, the bar broke free from its screws on the wall. The bars crashed to the concrete floor with a resounding bang and Jackson leapt at the window before Kelton could stop him and once again put a fist through the pane of glass. However, this time, he didn’t even bother with any padding, he just hit out with his bare flesh, knowing that they didn’t have seconds to spare. They had to get her out of there now. His own blood meant nothing to him. Aisline meant everything to him.
His hand was a mass of shredded flesh and blood, but he took no notice. A little thing like pain wouldn’t stop him now. He was so close. He could feel her pain and knew that he had to do everything in his power to get her out of there.
As Jackson prepared to leap through the now gaping open window, Kelton grabbed him in a bear hug and pulled him to the ground, just as a rush of flames shot through the window.
“Let me go!” he shouted, determined that nothing was going to stop him from getting Ash out of there.
“Jax! You’ll get yourself killed!” Kelton shouted back over the roar of the fire.
“Then that’s what’ll happen.” Jackson muttered, too low for Kelton to hear.
Knowing that this next plan would either kill him or at least get him kicked out of the Sons for good, he still had to do it. It was like he had no choice. He had to go and get her out of there. Damned the consequences. He couldn’t leave her to burn.
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