Reprisal

by Charles Tillman

  “This one,” he indicated the defiant man of about fifty years, “wants to kill you. He blames you for the deaths of his wife and sons and wants to see you torn limb from limb. He has no fear because he has nothing left to live for.”

  Heinz nodded for him to continue.

  “This one is confusing.” He pointed to the young woman. “She is afraid, but it’s like her thoughts are muted and I can only detect bits and pieces, more jumbled images than whole thoughts.”

  Heinz raised an eyebrow and motioned for him to continue after making more notations.

  Miko’s eyes narrowed. He turned to Heinz, confusion on his face. “The last one doesn’t belong.”

  Heinz nodded and stepped across the space to the door of the cage. He took a key from his pocket and inserted it into the lock. The woman pushed hard against the bars at the rear of the cage while the first man glared defiantly at Heinz as he opened the gate.

  He motioned to the third occupant, who stepped past the angry man and slammed his elbow into the side of his head as he came even with him, knocking him to the floor.

  “No need to break him, Huen. He still has some limited use,” Heinz told the Were as he went past.

  “I only gave him a love tap. He needs to learn his place, even inside his own mind,” the Were sneered.

  “Go find Gerhart and prepare the pack to move out. You will go with Miko to assist him with moving the Nosferatu when he leaves in a few days. Tell Gerhart to take the pack hunting in the mountains and let them run off some steam for a day.”

  “We will be ready to go. I’m certain the men will enjoy the hunt. Do we need to bring any back for you?”

  “No, just limit the hunting to one or two of the small settlements. I may need more human test subjects, and don’t want the entire population in the area wiped out. I prefer to have some close when I need them.”

  “Yes, sir,” Huen replied with an evil grin. “I’ll make sure that they understand that they have to leave some for seed in each location.”

  Miko watched the exchange dispassionately. He had no feelings about the humans that Heinz had ordered slaughtered as entertainment for the Weres.

  “Miko, you need to feed,” Heinz ordered. “The serum will settle sooner if you do. Go ahead and take the girl, she is of no use to me. After you’re done, see Chang about a room. You will remain here until there is news from Dieter. I plan to leave for Japan soon, so you will need to go back to the prison and get the Nosferatu ready to travel.”

  Miko stepped into the cage, grabbed the young woman, and dragged her out into the lab. She screamed as his eyes turned red and his fangs extended. Her cries were cut short as the vampire pulled her into a crushing embrace, then struck like a snake and latched onto her throat.

  She struggled ineffectively as he drained her lifeblood. It was over in minutes, and the body fell lifeless to the floor. Miko wiped the blood from his face as her dull eyes seemed to stare at him accusingly.

  Heinz went to the cage and pulled the unconscious man out, supporting him with one hand while he lightly slapped him to consciousness with the other. The man moaned and his head lolled from side to side. Heinz continued to slap him until his eyes opened and full consciousness returned. “So, you want me dead,” he stated.

  Pure hatred on his face, the man did not respond.

  Heinz shook him violently. “Answer me.”

  The man stared defiantly and without warning, spat at his tormentor’s face.

  Heinz dodged back. The spittle missed his face but landed on his arm. He looked at the offending substance and then back to the man.

  “That was unwise,” Heinz growled.

  The man smirked as Heinz looked at him. His smirk soon turned to a look of terror as Heinz allowed his eyes to turn red and slowly extended his fangs.

  The screams of agony were heard throughout the complex as Heinz repeatedly plunged his fangs into the hapless victim. His intent was not to feed but to prolong the man’s suffering for as long as possible.

  Chang rushed through the door just as Heinz dropped the lifeless body next to the previous one. “What’s going on, Heinz?”

  “Have this mess cleaned up,” Heinz ordered as he stalked out of the room without explanation.

  Chang shook his head as he looked at the two bodies on the floor. One lay lifeless with little signs of injury. The other was torn and mangled, its eyes wide and mouth open in a silent scream.

  “Gerhart,” he called as he activated the intercom. “Have a disposal detail report to the laboratory for cleanup immediately.”

  “On the way,” Gerhart replied.

  Chapter Thirty

  TQB Base, Tokyo, Japan

  “Eve, do you have any new information?” Akio inquired as he entered the operations center.

  Eve had been monitoring the reports from her drones at both the prison and the lab for over a week. They now had a good idea of what they were facing, as well as what Heinz was planning.

  “Nothing new. They still seem to be waiting for something,” Eve replied. “I have managed to infiltrate all of the prison complex and have learned that there are thirteen guards and one hundred seventy-six Nosferatu.”

  “I believe it is time to deal with the Nosferatu,” Akio advised. “The longer they have, the more villagers get taken. We have to be sure none of them get away. A Nosferatu running loose would mean death for any human who encountered it.”

  “What if we hit them during the day?” Eve suggested. “We could go in with the sun directly over the prison and drop pucks. The sun would destroy any Forsaken or Nosferatu who escaped the blast.”

  Akio chuckled. “I did promise that you could use the pucks if the situation warranted it.”

  Yuko entered the room as he said this. “Pucks? Don’t we need to go in and see if there is any information on any others involved?”

  “Hai. I don’t plan to use the pucks until I know all of the Forsaken there are dead. Mindless Nosferatu should not be able to escape, but we don’t know if any of the Forsaken there have resistance to the sun. Heinz has been experimenting with vampire blood for many years, and Isamu was much stronger than he had been before. Some of them have also been known to use heavy clothing and head covering to move about in the sun if necessary.”

  Eve grinned. “So, you two go in and take out the Forsaken. As soon as you’re clear, I bring the pain down on the lackeys. Works for me.”

  Akio and Yuko looked at each other with raised eyebrows. Since she had ascended to AI status, Eve seemed to be more like Bethany Anne in her eagerness to unleash destruction. In this instance, they were all in complete agreement.

  “What about the laboratory complex?” Yuko prompted.

  “I haven’t yet managed to get full drone coverage in the lab. Unlike the prison, it is built a lot better, and there always seems to be someone moving around. I had to be very careful about moving the drones. Not that I haven’t managed to get into some key locations.”

  Eve called up a video feed that showed Heinz and Chang in an office. “I was monitoring this when you came in. I finally managed to slip one into that boot-sniffer Chang’s office.”

  She pressed a button on her console and activated the overhead speakers.

  “Are you sure we should go ahead and do this now?” Chang asked.

  “I believe Dieter will soon have the information we need,” Heinz answered. “If not, Tokyo will experience an abrupt decline in the number of Yakuza leaders.”

  Chang consulted a pad he pulled from a drawer in his desk. “Barring any unforeseen problems at sea, Dieter should be there sometime today.”

  “Ja,” Heinz agreed. “I’ve already told Horst to take the craft and meet with Dieter tomorrow night.”

  “Do you think it’s safe to go that close with the craft? I know I pushed you to use it, but I never intended that we go near the mainland of Japan.”

  “We have to move soon. The longer we wait, the more chance for that damned Dark One, as they have sta
rted calling Akio, to discover us. All it would take is for one of the Nosferatu to get loose and wipe out a village. That could get the attention of the Chinese government. I’m sure he has spies there who would get word to him somehow.”

  “Heinz, I know he’s dangerous, but do you make him out to be more than he is? He is only one man. Granted, he has shown abilities that we can’t duplicate, but surely you don’t believe he is that dangerous?”

  “Chang, you never met any of Kamiko’s personal guard. They were all extremely dangerous before the bitch queen did whatever it was that upgraded Akio. From all reports, he is Walking Death now, so never take anything for granted when he is involved.”

  “If you say so. Did you send Miko back to the prison, yet?”

  “Not yet. I’ve been monitoring him to see how the new serum performs. I plan to send him back tomorrow with Gerhart and the pack. I want the pack to go along and provide daytime security during the transit.”

  Chang nodded in agreement. “Did the serum work as well as you anticipated?”

  Heinz raised his hand and waggled it back and forth. “His speed and strength increased to about twice what he could do before. He’s also able to heal injuries much faster than before, so that alone was worth the risk. His ability to get into the minds of others is hit or miss. Some he can read as easily as a book, but others he only gets impressions and feelings. It isn’t always reliable, but I hope it gets stronger as time passes. He did show some improvement during the week. Once that bastard Akio is dead, I hope to obtain a sample of his blood before it degrades to see what kind of benefits can be reaped from it.”

  Akio’s lips curled up in a slight smile when he heard this. Heinz would have a hard time obtaining anything from him other than a quick death. Although not at Bethany Anne’s level, he had trained with her and had no doubt that none of the people Heinz had, no matter how much he had tinkered with them, were anywhere near his or even Yuko’s level.

  “Can I just drop pucks on them and turn their base into a smoking crater in the ground?” Eve growled.

  “Not until we have gone through and released any human prisoners he is holding,” Yuko answered. “You have found some there, haven’t you?”

  Eve looked startled by this. “You’re right. I got so angry when I heard him so casually discussing killing Akio that all I wanted to do was destroy him and everything he represents. That is highly illogical.”

  Yuko nodded slowly.

  Akio spoke up. “Eve, I thank you for your concern, but don’t worry about me. I am certain Heinz doesn’t have a chance of reaching that dream. I have you and Yuko watching out for me, after all.”

  Yuko spoke up soon after. “Eve, it is understandable that you would feel anger when he threatened your friend. It’s only human.”

  “I’m not human, though.” Eve huffed. “I will need to examine my programming and see where this is coming from. I will not let…emotions make me do things that endanger others.”

  “Eve, I don’t believe you would have done anything to risk humans. You would have seen the flaw in the plan to puck them first when you ran the risk assessments,” Yuko assured her.

  “Perhaps you’re correct, but I am not willing to risk it,” Eve mumbled.

  “That’s why you have us,” Akio told her. “We’re a team. We will always look out for each other and ensure that none of us goes off the rails, if you will.”

  Eve was lost in silent introspection for a moment and then nodded to herself as she responded. “I will upload the schematics I have mapped out with the drones for both of you. The area where they are holding humans at the lab will be prominently marked.”

  “See, that is what I meant. It’s okay to feel angry, as long as you make the right decision before you act.” Akio caught Yuko’s eye. “Isn’t that right, Yuko?”

  Yuko blushed as she remembered her last experience with anger and how it had gone when she had reacted to Isamu’s words without thinking. Akio had since made sure during her training sessions that she would not soon forget that lesson.

  “Hai,” she softly answered.

  Akio’s lips curled in a slight smile. Satisfied that they had properly dealt with Eve’s personal crisis, he brought the topic back to the mission. “Eve, what about the Were? Do you still have a tracker on him?”

  “Yes. He is approaching the port at Joetsu and will be there in a few hours. Do you want to take care of him tonight?”

  He was silent for a moment and then answered. “No, let him think he has made it undetected. I want to see who he meets with in case they pose a danger to us as well.”

  “I managed to work the drone into a pocket on his backpack. As soon as he gets into the city it will be able to access the local network. We will have real-time information wherever he goes, then.”

  Akio stood and started for the door. “We go in the morning. I am going to prepare the Pods. Full armor for you, Yuko. I am not willing to run the risk of our puck-happy friend here blaming me if you get injured.” He nodded at Eve and smiled.

  “See that she isn’t injured, and you won’t have a problem.” Eve chuckled over her shoulder as he left the room. She knew without a doubt that her friends would always have her back, just as she had theirs.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Cargo Vessel Guro, Joetsu Harbor, Japan

  Dieter stood watching the crewmen rush to throw lines to the shore workers as the ship bumped gently against the dock. The voyage from Vladivostok had been uneventful, and the ship’s captain had made full use of the cloudless skies and calm seas to get to Japan in four days instead of the five he had expected. That gave him an extra day to deal with the Yakuza and find where the Dark One hid before Horst arrived.

  The captain interrupted Dieter’s thoughts as he called to him. “Dieter-san, would you like me to send word to Muto that you are here? I know he would send someone to pick you up if you desired.”

  “No, I will make arrangements tomorrow. It was a long voyage, and tonight I think I wish to sample some of the local, ah, flavor. Could you recommend a good restaurant and perhaps an establishment that caters to the needs of a man who has been at sea?” Dieter leered.

  “I know just the places you need.” The captain grinned. “If you’d like, I can take you once the ship is secured.”

  Dieter cringed internally, not wanting to deal with the annoying man any longer than necessary. He could always kill him, but the man had proven to be a capable sailor, and it would be a waste. Dieter had plans for the shipping industry once Heinz had secured control of Japan. “That sounds good. How long will it take you?”

  “No more than three to four hours.”

  Dieter shook his head. “I appreciate the offer, but I have a busy few days ahead and don’t want to wait. If you point me in the right direction, I will be on my way.”

  “Okay, I understand.” The captain sounded disappointed that he would probably not get his cut of the fee for bringing in customers to the eatery or the brothel. “Maybe next time.”

  As soon as the crew dropped the gangplank Dieter left the ship, armed with the location of the establishments he had asked about and the assurance that if he told both that Yamaguko from the Guro had sent him, he would be treated like a king.

  Dieter waved his thanks as he strode down the dock, having no intention of doing either. It was only nine, and he figured that if he shifted, he could easily cover the three hundred kilometers to Tokyo by morning. Then he could explain to the Yakuza why it was a bad idea to upset his father.

  Riko’s Noodle House, Tokyo, Japan

  “Muto, the representative from China is here,” Sero announced as he pushed through the door to Muto’s private office.

  Muto growled as he pushed the scantily-clad brunette who was sitting in his lap to the floor. “Dammit, Sero, how many times do I have to tell you to knock?”

  “Ow! That hurt,” she complained with a pout as she rubbed her backside where she had landed.

  “There’s no tim
e for that, Muto,” Sero continued, nonplussed by Muto’s and the woman’s protests. “The representative is here. As in, he is less than a block away from here right now. You need to get ready to deal with him.”

  Muto shot to his feet from the overstuffed couch he had been entertaining his guest on, he hastily worked to straighten his clothes to a presentable state. “I thought you sent someone to pick him up? How the hell did he get here unannounced?”

  “I don’t know. He just showed up. If Lai hadn’t recognized him walking this way, we wouldn’t have had any notice.”

  Muto pointed to the woman. “You. Out.”

  She started to protest, but one hard look from Muto made her pale, and she backed out through the open door.

  “Fix yourself before you go out, idiot. Straighten your clothes before any of the customers see you. Jeez, Sero, what do you do? Search extra hard for the ones with good faces and no brains?”

  “Focus, Muto. He is coming this way now.” Sero pointed through the one-way window that showed a blond giant of a man pushing past the host and stalking through the dining area toward the office.

  Muto finished straightening his clothes and pointed at the office door again as he told the woman, “Don’t go far. I’ll probably need you after I finish dealing with this ass. Now, get out of here.”

  As the young woman stepped out, the man pushed into the office. Ka, the loudly protesting host, and several other of Muto’s employees followed him.

  Sero stepped in front of the host, blocking him and the others from entering. “It’s okay. He’s expected. Go back to your business and leave us. Oh, and close the restaurant. We don’t need curious civilians around.”

  The host nodded to Sero and then quietly went to the few tables occupied by diners who were not Yakuza. He told them the restaurant was closed. They all left swiftly, not wanting to be caught up in whatever was going on.