by Jeff Seats
“Sorry. ID?”
Liz's eyes flashed wide open. When Agent Wright had gotten the phone alert, he ran out of the commissary just saying that she should follow. Dazed, all she could do was cram everything that was on the table into her bag without thought and chase after her partner as fast as she could. Now she was being asked to produce her security card that she knew was deep somewhere in the mess that was her bag. She huffed as she banged the bag down on the desk and stuck her hand in and started fishing for it.
Craig stopped halfway down the hall and turned looking for Liz. “Come on!”
Feeling around inside the bag, Liz was having no luck at locating her ID. She looked down the hall to Craig, as she ran her hand around through the bag. Still finding nothing Liz gave him big round eyes of frustration and shook her head as she desperately dug through it again, deeper this time.
“Oh for the love of...” Craig jogged back to the security desk. “Hey, Edwards, she's my new partner. Agent Adams, meet agent Tyler Edwards. Okay, let’s go.” Craig turned to leave expecting Liz to follow.
“Sorry Craig. You know the rules. Hell, you wrote a bunch of them.”
“We have an Action Order involving one of the reservations. Protocol can wait.”
“Sorry man. No card, no pass through.”
Craig looked at Liz. “Find it. Fast!”
“Roger.” Liz dropped her coat onto the floor then turned her bag over on top of the security desk and emptied it out. The red folder fell out along with all the other reading material, scattering onto the desk top and floor in a flurry of paper, followed by her phone, followed by her keys and a wallet, then a small notepad and a half dozen other odds and ends along with a paperback.
Craig picked up the book. Twilight. He grunted and tossed it back onto the pile.
Holding the open bag over the desk, Liz shook it vigorously one more time making sure it was empty. A few coins fell out along with a breath mint. Then she rifled through the pile of stuff on Edwards' desk and stopped. Under the notepad, she pulled out the ID card dangling from a lanyard and slipped it over her head. Then Liz held her ID up to Edwards' face.
“Does this work?” She asked him.
Edwards looked at it and then at Liz. Defeated he nodded. “Yes. Now go save the world.”
Craig was mostly down the hall when he yelled back at Liz. “Agent!”
“Coming!” Liz looked down at the collection of items which were scattered all over the desk. The red folder full of secret information which she had received yesterday screamed at her to grab and protect it. She looked towards the end of the hall where Craig was at the door waiting then she looked down at her disheveled belongings and then up at Edwards. This whole process took only a few seconds in total though it seemed to Liz like she was taking a physics final. Well, why wasn't this the place to be rid of the troubling bag and its secret contents? Edwards was an agent too. Right? “Nice to have met you.” She said to Edwards as she turned and started to run after Craig. Turning back to the desk, she called out to Edwards, “Will you watch my stuff for me? Thanks!”
Liz was already at the door that Craig was holding open before Edwards could respond. He watched the door close behind Craig and the new agent. “Yeah, sure. I guess.” Then he looked down at the heap that Liz had left and started to put the items into her bag. Tell me that's not a dirty tissue.
««« ‡ »»»
BEHIND THE DOOR, Liz found herself in a hive of activity. Men and women were rushing to fulfill their assigned tasks. Some of the personnel were serving support functions filling containers, going over checklists, carrying gear to a group who were getting themselves ready to head out on the mission. Obviously, they were the Action Team.
This room was a combination of locker-room and armory. Along one wall was a series of lockers with stools in front of them. In the middle were long tables and a few benches. There were seven Action Team members who were standing in front of their lockers changing into black ACUs, the type that SWAT or Spec OPS might wear.
Liz took a brief moment and studied the team as they prepped for, what, battle? There was a quiet intensity about all of them as they geared up. Professionals, getting ready to go to work.
Above each locker was a small chalkboard. The first locker was empty. The black surface of the chalkboard had been wiped in a smear of white dust. The next locker over read Sergeant Okada, at least the three stacked upside down Vs which were drawn next to his printed name implied that he was a sergeant. A quick scan down the line of lockers showed that all of the team members were sergeants.
After Okada, there were two more empty lockers then Sergeant Timmons followed by Ortega. Next to Sergeant Ortega was Ellingson. She was dressed and checking the edge of a katana for sharpness.
At an empty locker next to Ellingson Liz stopped. The name of Swanson was written in white chalk as all the others, but there was a piece of black ribbon applied diagonally across it. A photo, apparently of Swanson, was on the top shelf of the locker. Inside the main alcove of the locker below the shelf where his ACU and belts would hang sat an empty pair of combat boots with an upside down rifle. Placed on top of the rifle butt was a helmet facing out into the room. A fallen warrior memorial. A folded U.S. flag rested solemnly on the toes of the boots. A rosary hung, with dog tags, from the grip of the rifle.
After another empty locker, she saw Sergeant St. Jean checking himself out in a mirror like he had a weekend pass and was heading into Boise ready to paint the town red. Todd at the locker next to St. Jean gave him a poke in the arm. “What the fuck? Do you think some cute vampire is going to go for an asshole like you who’s just going to kiss her and ram a clove of garlic down her throat? Really?”
St. Jean finished combing his hair and checking himself before he turned to respond. “Darlin’ I take it when and where I can. Want some?”
“As if. Your hands are too small.” Said Todd and turned back to her locker and finished her prep.
Standing at the next locker, Sergeant Matt Ortega chimed in, “Hey St. Jean! You told me that I was your one and only. What gives?”
At the end was Sergeant Evers. He saw Liz standing frozen in front of Swanson’s locker and walked over to her. Quietly he said to Liz, “Swanson. Lost him a couple of nights ago at Site-Delta.” Then he returned to his locker.
Liz had a passing thought that she wished she had met the Action Team before an emergency. Maybe even had time to work out with them. You know, just to learn how they operated and maybe not get in their way while doing it. At least not drop her shit all over when it was time to act. Jeez, what a mess she had made already. Maybe she could buy the first round when they got back.
The wall opposite the lockers was covered in all sorts of weapons from tactical assault rifles to small arms to nasty looking mini RPGs. A caged cabinet revealed shelves with a variety of gas canisters of unknown chemical agents. There was one portion of the wall devoted to “old school” weapons which included swords, battle axes, maces, longbows and compound crossbows. Liz noticed several strange items that she could only assume were weapons of some sort since they were hanging with all the others on the Wall O' Hurt as the hand painted sign above designated it.
The team members were in various stages of zipping up their ACUs, lacing boots and putting on body armor. They all had sidearms some more than one and were checking them and their loads. Several were also selecting more substantial weapons from the wall. Some chose standard looking M4s; standard except for the add-on’s that must have some unique vampire fighting attributes. Others seemed to prefer old school for this work; selecting the more medieval-looking weapons.
Everyone was focused and moving with extreme efficiency. Aside from Evers, no one noticed the new person in their midst as they checked and double-checked their gear and that of their teammates standing next to them.
Liz stood in the middle of the room watching all the activity and listening to the banter and completely, utterly lost as to what she was suppose
d to do.
Craig had made for his locker; shedding his jacket and tossing it onto the stool in front of it. All the lockers were an open front style like you might find in a locker room for baseball or football players, no doors to get in the way, making for quicker changes. He grabbed his tactical vest and started strapping it on. Then he saw Liz unmoving, transfixed by the activity of the team preparing to earn their paychecks.
“Ah shit, Adams, I’m sorry. Forgot about you for a second.” He motioned to the locker next to his. “This is your locker.” He pulled out the vest that was hanging inside and handed it to her. “We’ll sort out the particulars when we get back.”
Liz moved in stunned silence. Her first full day as an agent and she was going straight into action. Whatever that might mean. No warm ups. No test scenarios. No virtual gaming. She looked up at the chalkboard where a name had been poorly erased. K...Rumsbi or Ramsby? It was hard to read.
Craig noticed her lack of movement. “My last partner used this locker I’m pretty sure that vest will fit; you look the same size as her...” For a brief second, Craig was looking at his old partner, Kathie, not Liz. Was it the red hair? Then he blinked and Adams was commanding his full view. “Now come on. We’ve got to go do some world saving.” He cracked a weak smile, but Liz was overwhelmed to the point of inaction. He snapped his fingers. “Hey, wake up. We have work to do. I’ll help you with the collar on the bird.”
Craig went to the small arms section of the wall and pulled down a .357 Magnum and an HK 9mm. He set the HK and a couple of extra clips on the table in front of her. She looked at it and the clips still in a dazed state. “It's the gun you qualified on right? I read your file.”
Liz picked up the gun holding it close to her body. Turning slightly away from Craig, she gripped the slide and pulled it to the rear checking the chamber. The weight of the weapon in her hand gave her a feeling of confidence and the familiarity of the gun reminded her of the hours she had spent on various target ranges. A clarity rolled over her. She’d trained for this; well not this but for similar situations. Why should vampires make any difference? Confidently she holstered the weapon. “Ready.” She said.
Sliding the extra clips over to Liz Craig pointed out, “The slugs are silver. Gotta get 'em in the heart. Anywhere else will just make ‘em hurt a hell of a lot and slow them down some and make them extremely angry, think wounded bear angry, but the heart... The heart is for the kill.”
“Copy.”
The swirl of activity around Liz continued as the other members of the Action Team finished their prep: loading weapons, checking tension settings on crossbows and making sure that sword edges were nicely honed. Sergeant Evers was loading canisters into a Milkor. She looked at it with appreciation. M-32 6 shot 40mm grenade launcher. She had never seen one up close but recognized it, the markings on the canisters he was loading puzzled her, though.
Evers looked up and saw Liz with the question on her face. “Aerosolized garlic, stuns ’em long enough to detain or kill.”
Craig handed Liz a knife. She was surprised by the weight. It was light in comparison to the blades she had practiced with. Looking closer she saw that it was a beautiful piece of sculpted hardwood.
“Wooden stake. If a vamp gets too close, and nothing else has worked, shove it into its heart good and hard."
The surreal nature of going into a potential battle with vampires started to sink in and become a tangible fact to Liz. Wooden stakes? Garlic? Silver bullets? Holy shit!
Craig addressed the entire group. “I’m not happy that we have to go and do this. Vamp Town has been the one model reservation, but I guess all good things have to come to an end sometime. If we’re lucky, we can get there in time to do some good. Okay, mount up!”
A couple of the support personnel opened a set of double doors. Framed in the opening was an Osprey warming up on the tarmac.
The Action Team streamed out the door towards the plane and then on to Res-Site Alpha. Vamp Town.
—— DINNER TIME ——
INSIDE THE BUCKET of Blood, Vladimir continued to dance with Steph in his seductively charming way. In fact, he had been dancing with her for almost an hour. During that time he had repeatedly returned to the bar for another hit of the local specialty, leaving Steph to move across the floor swaying to her internal music. Whatever was playing out under those black locks, inside her head, it was locked way from all, except for Vladimir.
Vladimir downed another drink and wiped the red off of his lips as he looked in the direction of the bus passengers. He smiled a knowing smile that said, “Be patient, your time is coming.”
His confidence was infectious with his people and worrisome to Paul. Ever since the O’Neils left with that couple, he had felt that the ill-fated group of passengers was like a herd of bison being stalked by wolves. The weakest would be culled from the herd first then the pack moved in to get at the stronger animals, the ones that gave the most fight but also the most satisfaction when taking them down.
A man and woman stepped away from the jukebox. They moved in a slow, alluring manner to the song that they had chosen. Strangers In the Night, but Frank Sinatra's voice was not heard singing. The silky voice plus lilting piano and strings of the Connie Francis version gave a buoyancy to the couple’s steps as they walked towards Jenna and Kelvin.
The general din of the room increased with the addition of the music to the loud, intoxicated voices and exaggerated laughter of the locals adding to the party-like atmosphere that had been developing. A party that the bus passengers felt, oddly, like they were both crashing and, at the same time, the guests of honor.
Jenna was the first to feel the focused eyes of the approaching vampires drilling into her. Their smiles were inviting her to wonder about the possibility of an exciting night. Kelvin watched his friend fall under a spell being cast by the approaching strangers. Then he felt their eyes drilling into him too. He resisted looking at them. He wanted to look over to Mr. Man for help, but he could no longer control himself. Powerless, he felt compelled to look up and into their probing eyes. Without asking, the woman sat down next to Jenna, and the man joined Kelvin; eyes locked onto their targets holding them by a force that neither of them could explain or evade.
The woman said in an enticing voice to Jenna, “I’m Helena.” She reached out for Jenna’s hand and caressed it softly. Jenna’s last ounce of resistance fell away, and she became lost in Helena’s longing gaze.
“My name is Kurt.” The man almost whispered into Kelvin’s ear. His soft voice and warm breath sent Kelvin into a spin of acceptance and desire.
Paul watched this ritual unfold, not sure what exactly it was that he was seeing, but convinced that the next pair from his adopted herd was about to be harvested.
Helena slid her chair very close to Jenna keeping her eyes locked onto her prey. Words could not form in Jenna’s mouth as the woman moved into her personal space and then, in a very intimate way, she lowered her head in the act of submission against Jenna's shoulder and nuzzled her neck. Jenna could feel her pulse pounding against the walls of her neck; blood banging to get out. She tried to move, but nothing happened. Her brain had lost the ability to command her limbs and her voice as well. Panic and excitement welled up inside of her. She heard her voice screaming but couldn't feel her lips move. No one heard her. She was trapped yet...she wanted to know more about this woman, this woman who, without a word seemed to know all about her. Helena gazed into Jenna's eyes and stroked her hair spreading a feeling of warmth and submission through her. She lost awareness of the world around her. Right now it was just Jenna and Helena, her new love. Maybe this one would last for the rest of her life?
Kurt's eyes were locked onto Kelvin's with an unwavering intensity that turned Kelvin into a puddle of jumbled up feelings. Perhaps, he thought, that he had found his chance at happiness at last. Kurt touched Kelvin’s knee ever so slightly which sent an electrified surge through his body.
Jenna and Kelvin sat ne
xt to each other, back touching back, but they were miles apart. To them, the world was full of endless possibilities and their new friends would lead them in their exploration. For Jenna and Kelvin, as for Steph swaying on the dance floor, their focus had internalized, and they were no longer in control of what happened next. Nor did they care.
Paul had been sitting at the closest table to the exit as was possible. The door was still being guarded by that UCLA linebacker. Saluni! That was his name. Apelu Saluni. Paul smiled at the small victory remembering the obscure football player’s name. Saluni, linebacker for UCLA and drafted in the second round by the Los Angeles Rams in ‘89. But why was he here? And why did he look so young? He should be pushing fifty by now. Standing there guarding the door he didn’t look any older than twenty-five. Perhaps it was the dim lighting. Certainly, this guy couldn’t be Saluni. No way.
The large guard caught Paul studying him and gave a knowing smile. He pulled up his short sleeve revealing a blue and yellow Cal Bears tattoo on his impressively large shoulder and winked at Paul. Alarmed, Paul flashed a nervous smile at the Samoan and turned back to the room where all sorts of strange things were continuing.
To Paul’s right Jenna and Kelvin appeared to be locked into their own worlds of intimate conversation with their new acquaintances. At least he thought that there was some conversation going on between them though he didn't see any mouths moving; only the dreamy smiles of his friends and the knowing looks shared between the locals as though they were feeding off of each other, voyeurs to the other’s conquest.
Distracted, Paul was suddenly taken off guard by a very attractive local woman who had approached him—another wolf from the pack circling the herd. She sat next to him, moving in very close. Paul scanned the room looking for hidden cameras. There was something just too weird going on what with the O'Neil's departure and Steph dancing under the apparent control of Vladimir and Jenna and Kelvin seemingly lost in their fantasy romances. Now this woman putting her most impressive assets on the line to ensnare another of the herd.