Into the Darkness

by C T Scribe

  Ahead of him, illuminated in the headlights was the man from the bar. In front of the man was the girl that should be dead. He saw her drained and dismembered body for himself. This was a cruel ruse. The tall man considered that thought, but allowed himself to admit he’d seen stranger things. The unknown man held a leash in one hand. He had a spiked collar clasped around the neck of the should be corpse. Full of life the girl was on her knees crying. Each point of the collar piercing into her skin creating a fresh stream of blood. The man from the bar made a show of licking at her neck consuming the liquid. He was large. Standing around seven feet tall. In his human form he was a beast among men, but the tall man knew there was more beneath this facade. His guns at his sides shifted back into his trusted six shooters as he observed the scene. Despite being a leader of some sort, the tall man had no Intel on him. He would have words with the geeks at HQ later for leaving him unprepared tonight. He did wonder if he was partially to blame for triggering that prophecy earlier in the year. Perhaps he wouldn’t go too hard on them. The events of late had been a surprise to even him.

  “Give us the boy. He has seen too much tonight.” The man in the road commanded . As he spoke he tightened his grip on the collar. More blood spilled from the already bloodstained neck at the end of the leash. Blood. How could the girl he saw in that bar nearly drained have so much blood left. Her face still had color. Her voice still shrieked. His decision was instant. Shooting a bullet squarely into the girls head. Then leaping into the air he shot several times at the man in the road. The unknown mans arm transformed into a hulking mass shielding his head from the shots. The now lifeless girl lay in the road. Blood and gray matter oozing from her skull. The tall man continued his barrage of gunfire waiting on the corpse to reanimate. Nothing happened. The girls lifeless body lay there leaking her insides onto the paved road. Had he made a mistake? It wouldn’t be his first or his last he thought. Dwelling on such things in the field would get a lesser agent killed. A too long life had taught him better. He fired his guns faster. Whipping bullets through the air in ways that defied all physics as the large mass shielded his intended target. On the ground beside his target the fresh corpse shifted into a male beast. Finally deciding their trick wouldn’t work the chameleon and her master showed themselves. The tall man saw another collared girl hiding behind the mound of transforming flesh. The tall man kept shooting. As every bullet whizzed from his gun and fired into the night, more bullets spun into his gun chamber continuing his barrage. Beneath him the new driver revved the engine spinning the tires. The car was ready to take off at the slightest opening. The beast ahead was now standing with the body of a man but two giant arms and talons. Fur was creeping over his skin. This was advanced wolf armour the tall man noted. With the situation quickly growing worse the tall man reached inside the SUV window and hit a button. The missile gave no warning as it popped out of a side compartment, and fired in seconds. The tall man tapped the roof twice to signal his new driver. The car was speeding ahead before he could react. Despite his strength the tall man found himself stumble on the roof. Digging his feet into the vehicle with a loud crunch he dented the roof to sturdy himself.

  27

  Chapter 27

  She didn’t expect so much excitement on her first mission. Her briefing was simple. She was to pick up a field operative plus a civilian on the outskirts of a small town. The extraction was listed as “low danger” since the field operative reported no enemies in sight. It was only under these conditions her superior sent her out tonight. Tasha, the dark skinned driver, took the mission happily. She loved to drive. Before her life changed and she found herself squarely in the middle of some eternal shadow war, she was a driver for a high end luxury sports car maker. She tested the fastest cars in the world, by pushing them to their limits over and over. When she first examined the fleet of cars her new employer offered, the disappointment was hard to conceal. Her superior Morris chuckled before he gave her the specification sheet on these highly modified vehicles. Despite the plain shape and appearance of the vehicles, they all had speed equal to her fastest test cars. The handling, suspension, and braking systems were also higher grade than anything she’d ever driven. This technology simply didn’t exist in the mortal world. Magnetic suspension, advanced on board computers controlling smaller systems flawlessly linked into one cohesive unit, run flat tires you can drive on for weeks after initial blow out, above military grade bulletproofing, and so much more technology was put into every single car in the fleet. One of these cars would easily be worth half a million dollars. Staring at the fleet of vehicles before her Tasha got a sense of how wealthy her new employer was. Aside from the vehicles themselves the garage, research and development buildings, and engineers and technicians all stationed at HQ outnumbered small armies. To have that many people working to improve and maintain the fleet meant one simple thing, she hadn’t seen the best toys yet. Tasha was eager to take this mission. She was eager to show her skills, because she knew only the best drivers would get to play with the best vehicles.

  As Tasha spun the wheels on the insanely modified SUV her heart leapt from her chest. This was the most dangerous thing she’d ever done. That aside, she felt truly alive in this moment. She felt the wheels of the car as an extension of her true being. Awaiting the command from the field operative she kept the tires spinning. The car rocked back n forth from the engines might. The rhythm pulsing through her body making her hot. The rest happened fast. The field operative clicked the button Morris told her she was not allowed to touch ever! The missile flew from the hidden compartment on the vehicles side, and hit the beast in front of her with ease. The explosion sent a minor shock wave pushing the car back a few feet. Finally she heard the tap on the roof. The universal signal to get the hell out of dodge. Releasing the break of the SUV, her soul purred as the cars frame lifted off the ground in front. The engines torque releasing itself like a caged cheetah finally set free in pastures. The smoke from the explosion made seeing the beast impossible. Anticipating a swipe of his giant claws Tasha drifts wide as she spun the car around the area the beast occupied. She heard a crunch in the roof, but had no time to glance up. Her eyes saw nothing but getaway routes. As the smoke cleared she saw nothing in front of her. If the beast was going to chase she wouldn’t make it easy. At speeds over 100 miles an hour she floated down the small town road. Her music blaring, she found the rhythm helped her focus. No matter the song the music helped her drive. In the back seat she felt the vibrations as the field operative slid back into the car from the rear passenger side window. The civilian who remained unconscious during the entire exchange sat beside him. To ensure they weren’t being followed she switched from interstate to interstate. Zigzagging through any traffic she encountered with impossible speed floating through the wind. Along the path several police officers lights flashed, but before she could give them much thought they were far in her rear view mirror. In this moment, her very first mission she found peace in her old life’s end. Without voicing it she realized she was born to be here. She was born to do this.

  As they finally neared HQ Tasha switched the car into camouflage mode. The camouflage, an elaborate system of mirrors and projectors, made the car appear invisible. Sending the real time images of what should occupy the cars space if it wasn’t there to the on board projectors was one of the coolest things she’d ever seen. Tasha had managed to calm herself some, and drive defensively. Knowing the other cars wouldn’t realize they were close to them, she drove cautiously through the city streets . Rounding the corner, she was finally within range of HQ’s sensors. Reaching for what appeared to be a standard garage door opener she hit the button to open the access point. With one final jerk of the wheel she mashed the gas pedal to the floor headed straight into an old abandoned building. The field operative barely reacted, but Tasha still found this part entertaining. She wondered how the mortal would react if he was conscious. At the point of impact with the building her invisible vehicle simply we
nt through the wall as a ghost. With an equally elaborate camouflage system the building was actually a ground opening to HQ. On the other side of the mirage waited a team of agents. Some to inspect the car, some to treat any wounded, and some highly trained in case of enemy infiltration. Tasha had seen them in the sparring rooms. The details at the entry were violent and powerful. More power than she could grasp at this point. Her current employer was a titan. And the legion of troops they commanded could easily wipe out any mortal army. She once again attempted to calculate the wealth of HQ, but stopped somewhere after 200 times Bill Gates net worth. In the midst of her mental monetary calculations she felt the tall man’s movements. Raising himself from the backseat he exited quietly. Another intake agent grabbed the unconscious boy. Reappearing at the window he said, “I’m glad you were my driver tonight. I’m Thomas. I look forward to future missions.” With that he was off. He didn’t ask her name, but he looked so tired. He, the most famous tracker at HQ, said he was glad she was his driver! He was strong but lean. His muscles not bulging, but solid. She looked him over a bit too hard as he walked away. Her eyes lingering on his ass for longer than she’d admit, making her face redden. Again she said to herself, “I love this gig!”

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  Chapter 28

  The tall man shuffled his feet as he walked through HQ. The large building he considered his home was little more than an abandoned warehouse on the surface. Beneath the ground however lay fifteen subterranean floors of advanced technology, shooting ranges, training pits, cafeterias, movie theaters, and even a bowling alley. Once an operative made it back to base they had zero reason to leave until their next mission. As he shuffled along he knew all the fun of being back home would have to await an extensive debrief. Not only was his mission lengthy, but he brought that boy with him. The council would decide what to do with him. In all his years as a tracker he had never brought a recruit in to HQ. The organization had recruiters that scoured the globe looking for suitable blood types and personalities to replenish the soldier ranks. Other trackers would tend to bring in recruits more often due to complications in a mission. The tall man prided himself on rarely having complications. He was regarded by many at HQ as the best tracker. He was certainly the oldest among the trackers at the North American base. He was perhaps the oldest of them all. Members of the council out ranked him. Most of the council was older than him as well. Most only by a few decades. Walking the familiar path to the council chambers he ordered his thoughts. The boy he brought with him was at the center of so many oddities in his latest mission. They needed all the information he could provide before they altered him. The altering process was intense. Many mortals died attempting to cross into the realm of something more. The land of myths and legend that the tracker and his associates lived in for centuries came at a price. If the council decided to give him the choice before getting information out of the kid, his mind may block out some important details. The tall man shook the thought off. He would have to convince them. No matter how pompous they act. They would listen to his reasoning, and question the boy first he decided.

  The General-The thin pale man yawned. The council room had been a busy place today, but now he appreciated the quiet. Awaiting the next mission update or major conflict that needed a ruling, the thin man stripped his clothes off completely. As he peeled off his suit jacket, the long oak table, chairs, and charts melted into the ground. Replacing them sat a pool and a hot tub. Completely nude the thin man took a step into the steamy waters. The pile of clothes he just laid on the ground was now a beach towel. The charts of enemy movement on the walls were now windows peering into some ocean. On the other side of the door thousands of operatives, supporting staff, engineers, healers, drivers, ancient ones, and new recruits were busy in the work of the mission. Just as the thin general had been seconds ago. For this brief moment, until the door opened, he was a young man in a hot tub by the beach watching the waves. The sound of the ocean soothed his troubled mind. The council rooms unique magic made it the best place in HQ. This room was the heart of HQ. The North American base, like the other branches around the world, was not a building. It was the living manifestation of ancient magic bent into creating ideal dwelling for those within. It could be as large as a city, or as small as a cabin depending on the generals needs. His predecessor left him as the next wielder of this magical being when she died. In all the years since, he hadn’t come close to mastering the beast HQ. The general was tired. The fight on this continent fell completely under his command. Tonight was a dark day for him. It had been nearly two decades since he’d seen losses like this. He wasn’t lulled into complacency. He kept his troops ready at all times, but the beast had an unforeseen player on the board in a chameleon. Shapeshifting was such a rare gift. They say only one child per century is born with it. Rarer still is it to find that child has transcended mortality, and joined the fight. He remembered the last one he faced and killed. With a shudder the general attempted to shake those old memories from his mind, but failed. So he listened to the waves, and awaited the inevitable knock on the door. It came moments later as the tall man entered the room. Without speaking he dropped his coat to the ground, allowing it to dissolve into the morphing room. His gun belt seemed to vanish as he took off his pants next. Still walking toward the hot tub, he peeled off his black T-shirt before stepping into the water across from the general. His eyes were closed as if hoping for sleep. The general decided to give him a moment. Well to give them both a moment, before they rejoined this never ending fight.

  He could have knocked, but as a top tier operative he had privileges to enter the war room at will. With a heavy sigh he reached for the handle of the room he’d spend the next few hours in. Hours recalling every detail he could about his mission this past year. Hours feeling embarrassed as he would have to explain his failures this time. It had been so long since he had failed. Touching the handle he sensed the room near empty. The only one inside must be the general. A small smile formed on his usually blank face. The general was an old friend. Old friend doesn’t quite explain how these two had once been mortal together. They had been in the same recruitment. The general preferred strategy. Leading the organizations North American branch was a perfect second life for him. Being out in the wild, in the field, was the perfect second life for me as well the tall man thought. Before the generals predecessor was murdered, she had told the boys as much. To think they would still be following those fragile lines centuries later. As he walked into the room he found it in a favorite form of his, the oceanside spa. The general must have had a day to rival his own if he was using this version of the space. With no need for words the tall man began stripping down to join his friend for a brief moment in relaxation. He saw his friend look away briefly as he undressed, but he felt his eyes on him once submerged in the water. Closing his eyes the tall man waited for the questions to start. The two men sat there in silence for nearly an hour instead. The best part about knowing someone for lifetimes were moments like this. A sub-language of nonverbal interaction they both understood well. These may be the last lax moments the two men would get in a very long time. So they enjoyed them. The tall man needed that hour of rest. It was 5 in the morning when they heard the clock chime. Both men opened their eyes staring at one another. The thin general spoke first, “tell me everything.”

  It took nearly two hours to empty every detail he could remember. The general was taking notes feverishly and adding dots to charts and graphs. He was cross referencing the new information with existing prophecies in ancient text. The war room had shifted back into a board room of sorts. The hot tub remained, and the tall man stayed in it as he recalled his story. He told his friend of the magic at the football game, and the beast he fought and killed there. How he walked into an ambush. How he activated a prophecy. He told him how the ancient pyramid let the beast inside. He shared with him more than stories as well. Energy readings were one of his key assets as a tracker. Even when he wasn’t in action he could as
sess situations from the residual energy left at the scene. The energy on the boy he brought in was unlike anything he had seen before. For a mortal to have that much supernatural mojo around him is unheard of. He read energy of the ancient forest on him. A place he had only heard of in legend. He read energy of ancient beings and monsters. He also seemed to have a large amount of energy from the girl who was killed in the bar that night. According to the records she came from a family of hunters. Even among the talented hunters her residual energy was rare. The tall man recounted event after event. He combined these tales with energy readings and assessments from every place he traveled as well. The general was busy at his work of sorting through the data. Whether any of his story impressed him was hard to tell. He gave no sign of shock as he scribbled away the details on the charts of other incidents. His eyes glossed over when he did this work as if he turned into a supercomputer only capable of connecting dots and deciphering patterns. This was his version of combat. Although he was powerful in the traditional sense as well. It took them two hours to debrief. The tall man’s skin had wrinkled and gone prunish from the hot tub he still occupied. Finally the thin general slipped back into the hot tub. His clothes magically morphing into a towel as they lay on the ground once more. “Sorry about Morris. He had been driving you for some time.” His face expressionless as he said it. Emotions weren’t as easy to show after waging war for as long as they had. The tall man just shrugged.