Insurgency (17 page)

“Long enough.”

“So what’s going to happen now?” Black asked.

“To you?”

“Yes.”

“That is up to me. If I decide that I can use you then I will.”

“If not?”

“You will have to answer for your actions son.”

“Actions?”

“Crimes. You killed Styles and Ibanescu.”

“Styles attacked me, it’s on tape and Ibanescu is alive.”

“Helmet cams are funny things. Sometimes they just cut out. Ibanescu was pronounced dead before my team took him from the camp. And there is that nagging doubt in my mind about the attack on your base.”

Something inside Black snapped. He lost all respect for Hudson and the rank he represented. The fury, the anger that he had learned to manage and to focus to get into Delta was seeping out. He was going to be no one’s scapegoat. He knew what he had done and he also knew what he was capable of. The question however was, were they? How much exactly did the Pentagon know about vampires? Surely he was too valuable for the US to ever get rid of or were there others like him who could survive in sunlight? Black took a deep breath. He couldn’t let any of this show. He would play along until he could escape. “What is your suggestion, sir?”

Hudson was taken aback. “About what?”

“How do I show you that I can be trusted, that you can use me?”

“I’ll let you know. Now you just hold tight in there.”

Hudson pressed a button which made the glass in the viewing room opaque before leaving and entering an office two doors along. He closed the door and asked the man on the opposite side of the desk. “Your assessment?”

“What we are looking at is perhaps the most extraordinary individual the world has ever seen, and you Colin are just trying to ‘piss’ him off.”

“Adam what I am trying to do is exactly that. I want to see his fangs; I want to see him bite.” Hudson sat wearily in the office chair. “OK ‘Professor’, answer me this. How do we know that he is still one of us? How do we know that he’s not going to kill us all as soon as we open his door?”

Professor Adam Thurlbeck popped a polo-mint into his mouth and sucked thoughtfully. “I’ve asked myself the same questions, of course I have but there comes a time in all scientific experiments when one has to take a leap of faith.”

“Well what if he leaps on us?” Hudson folded his arms.

“We shall have the Taser ready. The qualities he possesses make him unique. Do you know how many times in recorded history there has been mention of a Ra-Hodok?”

“Nope. Enlighten me.”

“Well it’s twelve as a matter of fact, but do you know how many times the actual existence of one has been confirmed?”

“I’m guessing none?”

“A good guess.”

“So this guy is unique and we just so happen to find him, here and now.”

“Things happen for a reason, I know that is a very unscientific assertion to make, but finding Black now will speed up our research and our understanding no end. If we can complete the synthesization of the battle vaccine the number of lives lost will drop dramatically. The limiting factors have always been sunlight and the blood-lust. Perhaps Black can be the cure for at least one of these elements?”

“So your suggestion is that we keep him in the lab and use him as what Adam, a guinea pig?”

“We must use him to gather research.”

Hudson shook his head. “I disagree. He is the most deadly combat soldier in history. He must be used as such.”

“He’s not Superman, Colin.”

“Is he not Adam?”

“No. He can’t fly.”

Camp Leatherneck, Helmand Province. Afghanistan

“We don’t know what caused you to black out and can’t find nothing wrong with you now Major.” The doctor held the rank of Captain and his scrubs were pristine. “However I feel that we should send you as quickly as possible to Landstuhl.”

“Captain I’m fine. I think it must have been the heat or…”

The Captain cut him off. “Or stress or perhaps you have picked up a bug somewhere?”

“Yes.”

“I agree with you, but due to the nature of where you have been and what you may or may not have been exposed to it is my medical opinion that you need to undergo further tests. Protocol stipulates that these are to be carried out at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Centre. It has the best equipment this side of the Atlantic.”

Rockbridge grunted. “So I guess I have no choice in this?”

“None.”

“One question, were my two other men, Black and Ibanescu also sent there?”

“Yes Major. General Hudson informed me of that.”

Rockbridge was silent. Again the name Hudson had been used. “Is there any chance that I have Ebola?”

The Doctor raised his eyebrows. “What? I mean what sir? Ebola?”

“Yes, Ebola the African disease. Could I have it?”

“Why would you ask?” The start of a smile began to crease the Captain’s face.

“That’s classified, Captain.” Hudson used the Doctor’s rank for emphasis.

“Anything is possible Major, which is why you are going to be prodded and poked in Germany.”

Landstuhl Regional Medical Centre, Germany

The cell door opened and a middle aged man dressed in a tweed suit entered. He gestured at the table where Black sat and asked in a polished English accent. “Mind if I join you?”

“Be my guest.” Who are you he thought?

The visitor sat and placed a shopping bag by the side of the table. As if reading Black’s mind he spoke. “I am Professor Adam Thurlbeck of Detachment V.”

Black smirked. “V as in vampire?”

“That’s right. Would you care for a drink?” Without waiting for a reply Thurlbeck removed a thermos flask and two tin mugs from the bag, unscrewed the top and poured. He handed a mug to Black. “Best drink whilst it’s warm, always tastes better.”

Black noticed his visitor’s hair was too dark for a man of his age. He peered into the mug; the content was a dark red. He didn’t need to ask what it was.

“Cheers.” Thurlbeck held up his mug in a mock salute before drinking. “Ah that’s better.”

Black cautiously followed suit. As the blood slipped down his throat he felt bolts of electricity course through his veins.

“Would you like some more?” Thurlbeck asked. “The flask holds three mugs, one is enough for me.”

Black nodded and the Englishman poured. When Black had finished he met Thurlbeck’s gaze and asked. “Vampire?”

“Yes I am but not like you; I’m not allowed to tan.” Thurlbeck laughed at his own wit. “You really are something you know, somewhat of an anomaly. It’s a bit like going for a swim and coming face to face with a mermaid.”

“Are you saying I smell of fish?”

It took a second before Thurlbeck understood the joke. “You are funny. Yes, you could do with a wash.”

“So who are you?”

“Well I’m a scientist, and a vampire.”

“I seem to be meeting a lot of them.”

“Really? Oh. My job is to attempt to understand what we are and how our abilities can be harnessed.”

“For what?To kill people?”

“To help humanity dear boy, but this does inevitably involve ‘killing’ somewhere along the line.”

“Wait, are you saying that I am not human?”

“Ah, I’m glad you asked that. We look and feel the same as a human but what sustains us is different. In that sense we could be classified as non-human.”

“Because we eat differently?”

“Yes.”

“So is a vegetarian considered a non-human then?”

“No, not in my book. Refusing to eat meat is just not natural.”

Black licked his lips and tasted blood. “So you are not military then?”

“Not since my youth, and believe you and me that was a very long time ago. But I do work for your government.”

“Look professor, I’m sure you are a great guy and a perfect party guest but can you tell me what you want from me? I’ve had enough of being cooped up.”

“What I want from you Brad is for you to show me what you can do. I want to know what you are capable of. Then I want to see if I can duplicate it in a controlled environment with a test subject.”

“You want me to be a lab-rat?”

“I wouldn’t put it like that, but if we are being candid then yes.”

“Hudson said that if I was useful I’d be working for him.”

“Quite. After studying you we may be able to put you back in the field.”

“Doing what exactly?”

The Englishman smiled. “Part of the job is hunting and eliminating terrorists.”

Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan

The blood was tepid but the temperature did not matter. Krasnov felt as though he was falling from a great height as the rushing sound in his head intensified. Then there was a bolt of pain and he opened his eyes.

“It has been a long time, Hadama.” Hakim thrust the flask into the Ukrainian’s unsteady hands. “I knew I would find you here.”

“You?”

“Who else would know of this place?”

“You have not aged.”

“You have.”

“If you live in this warzone; Hadama or not you will age!”

“What are you doing here?” Krasnov emptied the flask.

“I came to destroy them.”

“As did I.”

“Where is Dratshev?”

“I do not know exactly. He and four others escaped from this place.”

Hakim helped Krasnov to his feet. “Then our work is not done.”

“I believe it is.”

Hakim scowled. “What are you talking about Krasnov?”

“Dratshev was injured; I shot him with silver rounds. He is in need of medical attention.”

“Can it not just be dug out?”

“No. All the shards must be retrieved. He will also need new blood.”

Hakim thought for a moment. “He has his helicopter?”

“Yes. He will make for a medical centre. The nearest one is the ISAF base at Tarin Kowt.”

Hakim shook his head. “Even Dratshev would not dare enter another coalition base!”

“He is a wounded animal and as such has a heightened sense of self-preservation. He will go there and seek treatment.”

“I know the location.”

“But they will not arrive. Their helicopter is rigged to explode. I have placed a silver laden incendiary device in the cockpit and a second in the passenger area. They will be destroyed in the air and fall to the earth as dust.” Krasnov imagined the scene in his head. First the IED in the cockpit would explode, joined a millisecond later by the second erupting in the passenger bay of the Black Hawk. Two white fireballs would then race towards the centre of the bird before meeting and incinerating everything.

There was a silence as the pair of soldiers stood, eye to eye. Their war was over. They had started as enemies, had then been forced to work together and now...

Krasnov decided to again clear the air. “I am sorry about your family.”

Hakim’s eyes narrowed. “You had no choice; I understand that more now than ever before.”

Vaha had a smile on his face as he tugged at the collective and fought the ferocious Afghan wind. As the Black Hawk flew under radar level it shook like a giant’s plaything. They skirted a compound and all but hit a roof as a tremendous gust attempted to ground them. Vaha knew that no one else had the ability to fly like him, not even America’s famed ‘Night Stalkers’ of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. They had state of the art equipment, computers and NVGs but he had real night vision, reaction times quicker than any human and of course no fear of flying to his death. They were not far from Tarin Kowt and Vaha was enjoying the irony of their anticipated arrival at yet another ISAF base. In the back Dratshev was unconscious even though both Ghost and Kirill had bled for him. His wounds were seeping as the silver prevented any regeneration or clotting. The one thing on the face of the earth that elicited anything resembling an emotion in Kirill was Dratshev. The ancient vampire had saved Kirill over eight-hundred years before from the Mongol armies of Genghis Khan at the Battle of the Kalka River. The Mongols had defeated the Rus Army, forcing them to surrender. The Mongols then massacred every last man until only Kirill remained. As the Mongols encircled him a man stepped forward and spoke in Russian. The man was Dratshev. With a speed that none of the warriors could believe Dratshev disarmed Kirill before piercing his neck with razor sharp fangs. It was the last time Kirill had lost a fight and tonight he would not lose the fight to save Dratshev.

Helmand Province, Afghanistan

For the second time in her career Paige Turner was being made to leave Afghanistan. She and Raymond were passengers on a noisy RAF transport plane that would deposit them back in the UK. Around them servicemen chatted animatedly, eager to get home and see their loved ones and glad to be alive. They seemed immune to the rough-ride caused by the high winds and turbulence which sent the Hercules crashing up and down like a yacht in a stormy sea. As the plane lurched to the left Turner nudged Raymond, who had fallen asleep and was snoring.

“W…what?”

“You were snoring.”

“For god’s sake Paige. You woke me up to tell me I was snoring?”

“You don’t deny it?”

“Paige, I don’t care. Just let me sleep.”

“I can’t sleep like this, thinking that the plane is going to be shaken apart at any moment or fly into a mountain.”

“The chances of us crashing are minimal Paige. Planes just don’t fall out of the sky.”

Turner grunted as Raymond closed his eyes. “This is bollocks.”

Raymond rubbed his face and sighed wearily. “What is?”

She gestured around them “This. We’re being sent home like naughty school kids.”

“We’ve finished our assignment; we were due to fly back any day, anyway.”

“No. This is Matthers’ doing. He wanted us out of his way. He’s hiding something Dave and I need to find out what it is.”

“From up here? Come on; think about it, he’s actually done us a favour. We were the last civvies to leave Firebase Python. Just think how much our stories are worth!”

“I’m not in this for the money.”

“I am. I need a new car.”

“Something happened back there, something that they are trying to cover up.”