Operation

by Tony Ruggiero

  “No, I guess not,” Reese said. “I guess I convinced myself otherwise to get what I wanted. Apparently Dimitri and I have more in common then I thought.”

  “We’re all alike in certain ways, Reese. Our basic motivations are what drive us.”

  “For once, General, you and I are in perfect agreement.”

  “Look, Reese, Dimitri and his men are natural killers. Once you face that fact and accept it—everything will get much easier for you. Dimitri talks his philosophical bullshit, but that’s all it is. He uses us as much as we use him and his friends.”

  “So you want me to just turn them loose and let them do their thing,” Reese said dejectedly.

  “Exactly. You don’t have to get your hands dirty in the actual op. The team will go in and handle the particulars; you will monitor their progress from a remote site and guide them in and out. The target is a drug lord in a coastal town on Jamaica.”

  “Sounds simple enough,” Reese said. His voice came out as dull and lifeless.

  “Good, then we’re all settled. You’ll be leaving in the next couple of hours. Here is your briefing package,” he said, as he handed Reese a large sealed envelope. “Dimitri and his men have them already.”

  “Transportation?”

  “Ship. The special operations patrol craft USS Cyclone is at dock awaiting your arrival. The majority of the crew is from the facility back in Norfolk so they are familiar with the special requirements. You load tonight and get underway immediately. Any other questions?”

  “No, sir,” Reese answered, even though he had many questions. Problem was, they were mostly for himself and what he was doing. “I’ll join the team and make preparations.”

  “The operation name is called Red Blood,” Stone added. “I’ll see you when you get back. Good luck and happy hunting, Commander.”

  Reese didn’t respond to Stone’s tidings of success. He turned and left the room with the briefing package, which he was wringing tightly in his hands.

  Chapter Fifty-four

  Reese and the three members of his team disembarked under the cover of darkness on the western side of the island of Jamaica. The deserted beach was known as Bloody Bay; the name from the island’s past when the bay was a stop for whalers to clean their catches, and the blood tainted the water red.

  Reese remembered laughing at the irony when he learned of the origin of the bay’s name and thinking about the mission he was to undertake. Nevertheless, he felt a blanket of fear settle over him at the thought of the reappearance of the blood-tainted waters; stained now with human blood because of what he was about to do. Death had become the monkey on his back which he could not escape from.

  Go—go—go!

  All four men leapt from the raft. They were all dressed in black, the exposed areas of skin darkened. Reese watched as his team dragged the raft ashore and hid it amongst the shore brush. Two days ago, he had studied the pictures from the reconnaissance flight that had shown the beach debris as well as the volcanic rock that comprised most of the shoreline which would serve as adequate cover for their approach. No one spoke as they unloaded their waterproof bags and prepared to move out.

  Reese adjusted his night vision goggles, which reminded him how the vampires saw with a frightening clarity where others could not. At times, Reese imagined they even saw into the darkest depths of the human soul.

  Was it a gift or only a stark reminder of what they could never possess? Stop it, John. Not now! Focus!

  Reese moved toward the silent group and used hand signals to indicate the direction of travel they were to take. Each man nodded in acknowledgement. Even in the green illumination from his night vision goggles, Reese saw very little of their facial features, especially their eyes. Their eyes were covered by a specially designed eye device which did not enhance their vision but concealed them from detection. Reese was glad he couldn’t see their gazes, because if he could, he would see evidence of the hunger that resided within them, a hunger that if not controlled could get him killed. Reese signaled the team and started forward; they moved quickly and quietly behind him.

  A few kilometers later, the landscape changed from the deserted shoreline and typical palm trees that languished in the warm tropical air to the outskirts of a small tourist resort. Sand gave way to concrete and stone to accommodate those who paid exorbitant amounts to vacation on the island. Reese observed his team as they lifted their heads to confirm with their keen senses the smell of civilization. Knowing their capabilities, instead of the clean saltwater scent that filled his nostrils, they smelled the perfume of human bodies and the abundance of blood energy that flowed within those bodies.

  They’re working up an appetite; basking in the aroma of a long deprived and sought after meal that was to be served…

  All of this was a precursor of what was to come and Reese did not want to think about that. He turned his gaze from the men, knowing that he had to remain focused on the mission and not question his own morality at this moment. He removed a map and in the red glow of a small light he studied it, comparing landmarks in his sight to those on the chart. They were near the objective now.

  The others gathered around him. With his hand motions, he indicated their current location and their next direction. The target was less than a kilometer away. Again they moved out, staying within the shadows, avoiding any ambient light from the resorts and the million dollar homes that were scattered around the area. Reese looked at his illuminated watch and glanced at the black horizon. He knew that everything must go according to plan if they were to make it back in time. The three men looked at him in a way he thought reflected concern, which he dispelled with a wave of his black-gloved hand. He hoped that time would also not become an enemy as he motioned for the men to follow him as he moved out.

  Reese glanced at his watch. There had been no way to resolve the time of the incursion. Their sources confirmed the target would only be here one night before returning to the depths of the Colombian rainforests, and away from surveillance. To further complicate matters, Reese and his team’s departure had been delayed until the moon had set. Complete darkness was essential to their success.

  We can do this. We can survive if we stay focused on the mission and don’t run into any problems…I hope.

  In minutes, a three-story building loomed out of the darkness, rising up from the volcanic hill just east of the bay where they had landed. Through his night vision goggles, Reese observed the features of the structure. A magnificent stairwell led to a large open veranda overlooking the bay, then continued upward for another two stories. Massive stone pillars curved into archways. The home, once the center of a large plantation, now had another use: as the headquarters for one of the largest drug-smuggling operations that received and transshipped cocaine from South America to the United States. This was where they would find their target.

  As they approached the building, Reese observed the heavily-armed guards strategically placed to keep the entire area under surveillance. Not only was the area surrounding the mansion well-guarded, but it was void of any places to hide. Reese and his group stopped at the last piece of cover offered by the landscape, a grouping of shrubs massed with a grove of palm trees. He removed his night vision goggles, placing them back into the pouch on his belt, and then motioned to his men to indicate their assignments. His last signal indicated he would wait here until they neutralized the defenses and signaled all clear.

  As Reese finished his instructions, he watched as the hooded men removed their goggles. He braced himself for what he knew he would see. Although he had seen their eyes many times before the effect was always the same; it was like watching a door opening up to reveal the darkest depths of hell.

  So it begins; they’re hungry and ready to feed…

  Reese quelled his fears and, for a moment, contemplated canceling the mission, but the thought left him. He looked away from the gaze of the men who still remained a mystery. But mystery or not, it was too late, they had passed
the point of no return.

  The three men of the team looked at each other and then raised their black-masked faces to the air as if smelling the scent of the foul beast they hunted. With their eye devices removed, their eyes glowed with the awful red hunger; the realization of found prey after a long hunt and that the kill was near at hand.

  They’re ready…

  Reese watched as they prepared to go to what would surely be their deaths...if they were mortal men. But he was the only mortal here, the weak link. His presence was almost a hindrance, but necessary to ensure the team followed orders.

  Reese gave the “go” signal. The rest of his team vanished in a blur. He attempted to watch their advance using his binoculars. He caught glimpses of shadows and small distortions of light moving upon the compound from different angles; he knew that someone who had not been trained in what to look for would not see the momentary shifting of light.

  Reese watched as his team soundlessly immobilized the first set of guards. The creatures leaped over barbed wire fences as if they were mere marionettes on strings simply jerked upward, as if not subject to the laws of gravity. In areas booby-trapped with devices designed to explode from weight disturbances or from detected body heat, they failed to respond to the men because there was no detectable body heat or they hovered inches above the ground as they made their way toward the mansion. Locked gates and doors were opened without any effort due to their extraordinary strength; they simply twisted the lock and chains until they snapped as if they were made of paper rather than steel. Within a matter of minutes they had conquered the presumed impenetrable defenses that would have stopped even the most capable military force.

  Human military force…

  As Reese watched the team arrive at the entrance of the building, he saw Dimitri give the “wait” hand signal to Andre and Illiga. Reese prepared to move onto the next phase of the mission. He removed his Kevlar vest, keeping only his web belt. The attached pouches held only two items: a remote control and a 9mm handgun with silencer. By the time he finished and looked up, Dimitri had returned and signaled his readiness for Reese to go in.

  Dimitri’s gaze drifted up from the belt to Reese’s face. Reese detected urgency in his expression instead of the usual calm. Dimitri the philosopher, as Reese thought of him, was seldom agitated. The only time Reese saw him in such a state was when General Stone starved the team prior to the mission. The general found it amusing, but Reese knew that it only created more of an opportunity for something to go wrong by having the creatures kill prematurely in order to….

  No…don’t think about that now!

  Even Johnson had warned the general of the danger of starving the creatures. Reese had liked Johnson, but he saw what was happening to him and thought that perhaps he was better off dead rather than fulfilling his desire to become like Dimitri and his men.

  There was no more time.

  Knowing that the next phase would be crucial to the success of the mission, Reese signaled he was ready. Dimitri escorted him past the downed guards. Reese looked upon the dead men; they appeared to be in a peaceful sleep but Reese knew that the reason they looked that way was because they had never seen their death coming. Their necks were snapped quickly and efficiently. They had been lucky. Reese had seen the results of when Dimitri and his men taunted their prey. They looked anything but peaceful; their faces were distorted in such expressions of horror that Reese thought they no longer looked human.

  Approaching the mined and the barbed-wire areas, Dimitri lifted Reese off the ground without difficulty. Although Reese was probably the only person who understood these creatures, he still marveled at their abilities. He was transported safely and deposited at the entrance where Andre and Illiga waited. Reese nodded thanks to Dimitri, who did not respond to the gesture. Reese motioned for them to follow him.

  The interior defenses were minimal, considering the impenetrability of the home, and consisted of a few posted guards who were easily circumvented. According to their intelligence source, (in this case the housekeeper, whose information had been bought with taxpayer’s dollars) the target would be in the study. Reese stopped his team when he spotted a pair of guards stationed outside of the door. The guards were engaged in some type of card game, their attention focused on the flimsy card table instead of the corridor. Reese knew there was no other means of entry into the room. He signaled to Dimitri to immobilize the guards.

  Dimitri gave no visible signal to the other members; however, seconds later the guards were downed by the creatures before they had even realized that they were in danger. They weren’t killed, but only paralyzed so that they could not speak or move. Their eyes were wide open in shock and disbelief as they lay on the cold marble floor in twisted horror, watching their attackers. But they weren’t alone in their visible horror. Reese also knew what had been set into motion and what the inevitable outcome would be.

  There will be no stopping them…

  Reese tried to hide his revulsion, but he knew taking down the guards had excited the team members in an almost erotic way, because it added to the building anticipation of the promised feeding. Reese gave the hand signal to Dimitri to post one of his team with the two incapacitated guards while they entered the room. He watched as Dimitri signaled his order to Illiga with his hands and then added what could be done with the guards. Reese wished he didn’t know what Dimitri had in mind for the men. The signal acknowledged and understood, Reese removed his weapon from its holster and the three entered the room.

  The target lounged on the sofa, flanked by two young naked women who vied for his attention and distracted him from their entrance. Reese’s intensive training took charge before his emotions could register the horror about to be committed. He signaled to Dimitri and Andre to complete their assignment.

  Now comes the tough part, the watching...

  Reese was an observer with his own personal view into hell.

  Chapter Fifty-five

  Reese watched as Dimitri and Andre slowly approached the women. He knew they did not want to rush the moment, but to savor it. One of the women caught their movement and looked in their direction; for several seconds she stared, her mesmerized gaze watching the men dressed in black approach. As her eyes widened in surprise, Reese caught a blur of motion as Andre was upon the women. In the next few seconds everything happened at a speed that would have confused anyone else as to what actually happened in that room. Yet to Reese, it felt like a lifetime.

  Andre separated the women from their target, keeping a chokehold on both of them to keep them quiet. The recipient of the women’s favors was a male named Carlos, a notorious drug overlord of the Colombian cartel. He peered at the three men who had somehow gained access to his chambers, his facial features contorted in amazement.

  “How did you get in here?” he demanded in a thick Spanish accent. “Protectores! Prisa!”

  He attempted to rise, but his pants around his knees only allowed him to stagger back like a drunken man. As his chest rose in obvious preparation to scream again, Dimitri was upon him and effortlessly backhanded him. Carlos’ body lifted off of the floor and he flew for several feet before crashing back onto the floor.

  Dimitri’s hand was covered with Carlos’ blood from where he had struck him. He raised it to his face and sniffed at it curiously. Reese’s mind associated the scene with that of a wine connoisseur checking out the vintage of a fine wine. Even though Dimitri was still wearing his black ski mask, Reese could tell by the movement of the fabric that his lips had formed into a smile across his face. The thought of that smile caused a sickening wave of nausea to wash through his stomach.

  Reese turned away from Dimitri and Andre and the game of cat-and-mouse they played. He checked his watch, and then looked out the large window located behind the sofa. Turning back, he gestured by hand signal to Dimitri and Andre that they were out of time.

  Do it now and may all of us be damned…

  Without warning and in perfect unis
on, Dimitri used one hand to remove his mask, and his other to remove Andre’s, revealing their faces and the large metal collars around their necks. Their features reflected a strong Slavic appearance, the dark hair and eyes set into faces that were strong, but wrinkled from the ravages of the rough environment of the Balkans. However, when they opened their mouths, the revealed fangs removed any likeness to humans.

  A part of Reese wanted to shout: Don’t do it! Just kill Carlos and get out of here. He knew they didn’t have time to waste if they were going to get out. But he also knew any attempts to stop Andre and Dimitri would be to no avail. They had been purposely deprived of nourishment for this mission and they had to feed in order to survive. Reese’s hand curled around the device in the pouch that controlled the collars that the team wore, but he released his grip on it, letting his hand fall to his side as his military training commandeered his actions.

  We are still safe…

  Intelligence had confirmed that the room was soundproof and the alarms were silent. If he was going to get away, he needed all of the team to do it. His only choice was to watch the carnage and hope it was over quickly.

  As if sensing Reese’s urgency, Andre, who held the two women, bit into the neck of one, slashing the flesh in a wild frenzy, and drinking deeply. The other woman struggled to cry out as she watched the gruesome act, but his paralyzing hold was too powerful, leaving her only the choice of closing her eyes. Finished with the one, he released his hold and she slumped to the floor. Then he turned toward the other and killed her as he fed off her life-sustaining blood. .

  Carlos, still dazed from his fall, looked on in horror as the creature licked and sucked the fluid from his former paramours. Dimitri approached him, baring his large fangs. He lifted him off the ground, gashing the man’s neck with a long sharp claw which had arisen from what had earlier appeared as a normal hand. He greedily drank the blood that flowed from the gaping wound.