Mitchell stuck his head into the secondary command center and saw it aflutter with activity. “Get me those goddamn coms back now!” Major Tufo was practically standing in the command chair, barking orders.
“Problem?” Matt pulled the door shut behind him.
“They went dark as soon as they entered the damned warehouse. We can’t see, we can’t hear, we can’t…” He blew his breath out hard and turned an evil stare toward the communications tech. “I’m told we’re being jammed. We can’t even get a good heat signature from all of the activity in the building.”
“The drones have been rerouted. They’re on their way back. Maybe you can direct them to do a flyby? Buzz the building and get you a microwave—”
“I need something now.” Mark sat back in his chair and ground his teeth, his eyes scanning the satellite view of the building. He turned to Matt and quickly came up out of his chair. “I have an idea. It’s a crazy one, but it’s all I have.”
“Hit me with it.”
Mark pulled him aside and lowered his voice to a whisper. “Take command here. Let me go there and see what I can—”
“Negative!” Mitchell’s brows knitted together as he stared the man down. “You’re the XO, not an operator.”
“It wasn’t that long ago I was in the field with Jack’s team and held my own…without being augmented. Now I’m…” He shrugged. “I heal faster than the men do.”
Mitchell was still shaking his head. “Negative. It ain’t happening.”
“Matt, Doc can’t tell us what exactly I am, but I’m faster, stronger, and heal quicker than anything we have. And I’m not looking to engage. I just want to see what the hell is up. If all is clear, I back off. If it’s not, I give the men a diversion. That’s all.”
Mitchell was still shaking his head. “I don’t like the idea at all. You’re the Executive Officer. If anything happened to you…”
“It won’t.” His eyes widened. “I’ll take numbnuts with me.”
Mitchell turned on him, his face questioning. “Who the hell is numbnuts?”
“McKenzie. Dom sidelined him. He’s still qualified. He’s the only operator we have on site. I’ll drag his sorry ass with me. He can report directly back to you and tell on me if I step out of line.”
Mitchell glanced at the boards and then back at Mark. “Reconnoiter. That’s all.”
“That’s all.” Mark nodded.
“Go.” He slapped the man on the back. Mitchell squared his shoulders and announced, “I have the command center.”
Mark pulled his two-way and called the duty officer. “Get McKenzie suited up and tell him to get his ass topside. Now.”
Mitchell watched the man leave, the door pulling shut behind him. He offered up a silent prayer not only for his XO, but for himself should anything happen to him.
*****
“Your people will need you.” The Wyldwood walked with the griffin through the wide rocky passageways.
“They are not my people.” Allister enjoyed correcting her. “I am doing this as a favor to you. And to enact revenge.”
“Regardless of your motivation, they are your people now. They will be looking to you for guidance, direction…insight.”
Allister paused, his mighty head turning to face her. “Insight? From me? What are they looking for? How to be turned into a mythical creature and lose everything you ever held dear?”
Loren’s mouth pulled into a tight line below her hood. “They need your knowledge and wisdom, my friend. Not your self-loathing.”
“My loathing is not for self. I loathe the she-witch that did this to me. I have spent thousands of years hidden. Locked away lest I be hunted and killed by man, monster, or beast.” He growled low in his throat then turned to continue walking. “The depths of my loathing cannot be fathomed by the likes of you.”
She watched the massive being walk gracefully through the fallen piles of rock and contemplated his words. How difficult had it been for him since his transformation? He had chosen not to interact with any other griffins until the race died out. As far as she knew, he was the last. Had he embraced his fate, who knows what he could have accomplished.
Having once been the crown prince of a great and powerful nation, he had the misfortune of running afoul of the demon queen. Her beauty beguiled him and he tried his best to woo her with promises of riches and a nation to rule. He couldn’t possibly have understood her true desires, or where her heart lay.
He blamed Lilith for his transformation, but to Loren’s knowledge, witchcraft was beyond her ability. She feared that the true source of his curse came from another; one whose ability came from a much darker source. Loren opened her mouth to say as much but quickly thought better of it. Regardless of her suspicions, he wouldn’t be easily swayed. After spending multiple thousands of years blaming someone, she doubted that she could sway him.
Allister stopped near a large boulder and sat down. “This is the one.”
Loren walked past the griffin and began to open a portal. Once the portal was stabilized she stepped aside. Allister stood and stepped forward. He glanced through the portal then turned back to her. “This isn’t the Anywhere.”
“No. This leads to your people. The large building you see is where they call home for now.”
Allister sat back down and gave her a menacing glare. “I will not reside in the world of men.”
She sighed heavily and stepped toward him. “You must. They reside in the world of men. Your people need you.”
He shook his mighty head and ruffled the feathers on his wings. “I’ve not had good luck with…man. They tend to be…unreasonable.”
“Their leader is a man.” She gave him a soft smile and stroked his mighty shoulder. “He is reasonable.”
“I thought you said he was a wolf?” Allister gave her a distrusting stare.
“He is. He is also a man.” She urged him through the portal. “If I came with you?” She watched him stiffen, and then shake his head.
“I need no woman to escort me.” He stepped forward slightly then turned back. “But if I end up dead, I will not be happy with you.”
“You will not. Approach them slowly and state your intentions.”
“My intentions?” he grunted. “My intentions are to kill Lilith. But something tells me that they will not care.”
Allister stared at the building as he slowly walked through the portal. His clawed feet crunched on the gravel as he stepped into the world of man. He walked slowly toward the arched building ahead of him when he heard a low growl and the sound of something digging in the loose gravel. He saw two red lights as it departed and left in a hurry. “A horseless carriage, I presume.”
“Actually, it’s called a Humvee.”
Allister turned his mighty head to see a man slowly approaching him, something in his hands pointed at him. “And you are?”
“Sentry. State your business…sir?”
Allister did his best to appear less menacing. “Mr. Sentry, my name is Allister. I have been sent by the Wyldwood to assist your people. I am supposed to ask for Chief Jack.”
The sentry slowed his approach and stared at the large winged creature. “You’re kidding, right?”
“I do not kid, Mr. Sentry. If you could show me where to find this Chief Jack, I would be in your debt.” He tried to smile, but found it nearly impossible with a beak.
The sentry watched the creature for a moment then lowered his rifle. “Call me nuts but that story is too crazy not to be true.” He shrugged and waved the griffin forward. “Follow me, sir. I’ll show you the way.” Allister fell into step behind him as the two approached the hangar. The sentry pulled a black box from his belt and spoke into it. “Duty Officer, this is Sergeant Davis. I have a…a…well, a visitor here to see Chief Thompson.”
Allister’s eyes widened when the box spoke back. “Escort to the west entrance and hold for clearance.”
“Copy that.” He gave the griffin a quick smile. “This w
ay.”
“The box gives you permission to act?”
The sentry gave him a questioning glance. “You mean the radio? I had to call the duty officer to alert them to your presence. Otherwise they might treat you as a hostile.”
“A hostile what?”
“A hostile…uh…person?” He shrugged. “Just trust me, it’s in both of our best interest if I get permission first.”
“Curiouser and curiouser.”
*****
Dom finished writing his field notes and leaned back against the tree. He glanced to the east and nodded. “Sun will be up shortly. Shouldn’t your people be heading out?”
Reginald looked to the horizon and sighed. “You’re right. I can feel it. But no, we don’t have time to get back to the structure we stayed at yesterday. We’ll have to go to ground again.”
“Again?”
“Yes. During our exodus, we have had to go to ground many times. We’ve actually become used to it.” He bent and scooped up a handful of the rich, dark earth. “There’s something energizing about being so close to the ground. I wish I knew the tie.”
Dom reflected back to the Sicarii and the soil from his homeland. “I think I understand.” He shuddered slightly and turned away. “There’s no putting it into words. It’s just a…feeling.”
“Yes.” Reginald dropped the soil and gave Dom a curious stare. “You speak as though you have firsthand knowledge. Did you know a vampire who preferred going to ground?”
Dom shook his head. “Not exactly.” He cleared his throat nervously. “The Sicarii…he used to keep a box full of dirt from his homeland. Just having it close increased his power.”
Reginald nodded knowingly. “You wouldn’t think that a vampire that powerful would need a tie like that.”
“You wouldn’t think, wouldja. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned, when it comes to power, it doesn’t matter if you’re a vampire, human or…whatever. Once you get power hungry, you’ll fight tooth and nail for every ounce you can get.”
“True enough.” Reginald’s voice wavered for a moment as he considered the ramifications of Dom’s words. He stiffened slightly and redirected his attention to the man. “Is there anything else we can help you with?”
Dom checked his notes then shook his head. “I think I have everything I need. If anything new comes up, we’ll get in contact.”
“Very well. Thank you. Sincerely…thank you.” Reginald offered his hand and Dom hesitated for the slightest moment before taking it.
“Sorry, it’s not every mission I end up shaking hands with the person I was sent to kill.”
“Understood.” Reginald gave a slight bow and turned back to his people. “To ground. Before the sun rises.”
Dom watched them walk into the woods and disappear into the shadows. Marshall slipped in next to him and muttered, “Do you get the uneasy feeling we’re going to regret letting them leave?”
Dom continued to watch the woods for a moment then shook his head. “Not this time I don’t.”
2
Mitchell sat in the command chair and manually switched from one feed to another. He wished that whatever was blocking their coms would stop interfering. He knew that it had to be a signal jammer from within the abandoned warehouse. Nothing else made sense. “Is there a way to override that jammer from here?”
“Negative, sir. It’s locally controlled, and whatever it is, it’s essentially put a bubble around that building.”
Mitchell sighed heavily and leaned back in the chair. He checked his watch again and wished that Mark would hurry and get his ass on scene. He knew it was just across town, but it was still far enough away to make it nearly a half hour drive. Even in the wee hours, without traffic, the best he could hope for was to shave a few minutes from the arrival time.
“ETA on the drones?”
“At least another half hour, sir, and they won’t have fuel to stay on site for very long.”
Mitchell leaned forward and glared. “Well then I guess it’s a good goddamn thing that we’re so close, isn’t it?”
The drone pilot gave him a stunned look and simply nodded. “Yes, sir.”
Mitchell groaned and ran a hand through his close cropped hair. “Sorry about that, son. I’m just a bit on edge here.”
“Understood, sir.”
The communications tech turned with a smile. “Sir, Captain Jones has reported that they’ve increased speed to return home. They have the first drone. We did use about a third of its munitions, but it will available sooner.”
“Well it’s about time something went our way. Tell Jericho to get that bird in the air as soon as he can and take up a high helical orbit. I want eyes and ears on that facility.”
“Roger that, sir.”
Mitchell glanced at this watch again and cursed under his breath. “Where are you, Mark?”
*****
Jack watched as Azrael fell back through the skylight and landed deftly next to him. “I couldn’t catch him. He is much faster than he appears.” He shook his head and his shoulders slumped. “I’m sorry, Chief Jack.”
“You did your best. That’s all anybody can ask.”
“Be grateful you didn’t catch him, gargoyle. He would have killed you,” the Guardian spoke softly, but his voice expressed his belief.
Azrael stiffened slightly and cocked his head. “Do not be so quick to discount—”
“He is an angel, my large friend,” the Guardian they all called Phil interrupted. “I mean no disrespect to you. I only speak truly.”
“It’s going to be daylight soon. We need to wrap this up and get my team back home.” Jack cut them both off. He turned to Viktor. “Are you coming back to the base with us?”
Viktor looked to Thorn who gave him a surprised look. “I think…” he paused and turned to Foster who shook his head slightly. “I think that we shall retire to the island. I have much planning to do in order to coordinate our next attack against Lilith.”
“As do we.” Jack approached him slowly. “The Wyldwood assembled this team for the express purpose of defeating her and sending her back to hell.” He lowered his voice and turned away from the others, “If you’re serious about fighting her, then come with us. Help us come up with a proper plan of attack.”
Thorn inhaled deeply and squared his shoulders. “And what of your intent to enact revenge for my supposed betrayal?”
Jack lowered his eyes and shook his head. “You know, it wasn’t that long ago that if you were this close, I’d have just ripped your damned head off and been done with it.” He raised his eyes and met Thorn’s gaze. “But I’ve come to realize that everybody makes mistakes. Even you. That doesn’t mean I have to like it. It doesn’t mean I have to accept it. And it damn sure doesn’t mean I have to come back to work for you.”
Thorn nodded slowly. “But…”
“But it does mean that I realize that even good people can screw up once in a while. Especially if they think they’re doing it for the right reasons.”
Thorn gave a crooked smile. “I won’t hope for forgiveness. I will accept understanding.”
“Good. Because you aren’t getting the other.” He turned and motioned to Kalen. “Find us a portal out of here. I’m ready to go home.” He turned to Rufus. “You can come with us and help us figure out a way to kick this bitch’s ass, or you can go and do your own thing. The choice is yours.”
*****
“Answer me, Dad. What did you do with the rest of it?” Laura shook the empty vial at him. “You didn’t inject Crystal with it, did you?” Her face paled at the very thought.
Jim shook his head. “No, Punkin. I can’t believe you’d even think such a thing.”
“What am I supposed to think? I find this thing empty and…” She stared at him and her eyes shot wider. “You didn’t…”
He nodded slightly. “I thought if a little would help, then more…” He gave her a sheepish grin.
“Oh no!” She fumbled in her bag and
dug out her cell phone. “I can’t believe you’d do that.” She flipped open her phone and began punching through her call list.
“What are you doing, Punk?” He reached for her phone and she jerked it clear of his grasp.
“I have to call Evan. I need to know what that can do to you.” She found his number and punched the call button.
“Like hell!” Jim snatched the phone and pushed the top closed, hanging up mid-call. “It’s none of his business.”
“Daddy, you don’t understand. He told me to give you a specific dose. No more than 15CCs per dose. You took the whole vial. I need to know what sort of side effects that could have.”
He held the phone away from her when it vibrated in his hand. He stared at the device and threw it against the wall. It simply bounced away and clattered to the floor. Laura gave him a smug smile and bent to retrieve it. “It’s a ruggedized military-grade cell phone, Dad. You could run it over with a Humvee and it would be fine.” She flipped it open and saw a missed call from Evan.
“Don’t do it, Punk. I’m telling you, I’m fine.” He glared at her as he spoke.
“You aren’t acting fine.” She punched the redial button and stepped away from him. “Besides, if you’re lucky, there won’t be any side effects. But if there are, we need to know what they are.”
“Laura?” Evan’s voice sounded tinny over the tiny speaker.
“Evan, sweetie, I need to ask you something.”
“Okay. Is something wrong?”
“No, no, nothing’s wrong. I mean…maybe not.” She bit at her lower lip then blurted out the question. “What would happen if I accidentally gave him too much?”
“Too much? Like, how much too much? If you mean just a few CCs then not much. There’s always a margin of error in—”
“No, Evan. Like, if he got hold of the red vial and took the whole thing?”
“Oh no…”
*****
Mark was out the door of the Humvee before McKenzie rolled to a stop. He hit the ground at a trot and brought his carbine up to his eye, both eyes scanning the darkness. It still surprised him that he was able to so easily adjust to near total darkness without the aid of night vision. He paused and held a fist in the air, halting Mac mid-step.
Specters: A Monster Squad Novel - 8 Page 2