Specters: A Monster Squad Novel - 8 (19 page)

“No, sir, but this is the third time this year we’ve gotten a primary on that ‘mothman’ type creature. We just can’t seem to get a secondary on it before it disappears.”

“Maybe we need to look for some kind of pattern to the sightings? If we can find one we can have a squad waiting for it.”

Jericho shrugged. “It’s just sightings though, Major. To date, it’s never harmed anyone.”

“Doesn’t mean it won’t start.” Mark opened his door and stepped inside. “Keep me updated.”

“Aye, sir.” Jericho turned and headed back down the hall as Mark slipped behind his desk and fell into his chair. He pulled the report again and ran through the list once more.

“Possible vamp attack. Possible wolf. Possible…what the hell is a wendigo?” He laid the list down and entered his password into the computer. As his eyes scanned the small amount of info he could find, he sat back and shook his head. “Oh, hell no.”

Mark reached for the phone and called Jericho back. “When was the primary turned in on this wendigo thing?”

“Yesterday, Major. We’ve tried to send a secondary spotter into the area but…” his voice trailed off.

“Spill it, Cap.”

“Well, Major, the secondary spotter can’t make contact with the first. It’s like he dropped off the grid.”

Mark closed his eyes and clenched his jaw. “Spin up First Squad. Have them make ready.”

“Sir? We don’t have a secondary yet.”

“I doubt we’ll get one either.” Mark shook his head as he stared at his computer screen. “As much as I hate to say it, Cap, I think our primary may have become a victim.”

*****

Bigby stared out the dust encrusted window overlooking the hangar. He jotted a few notes in his pad and bit a chunk from the protein bar in his pocket.

“Wouldn’t you rather have something a little more substantial?” Mick’s face twisted as he glanced at the wrapper hanging from Big’s pocket.

“If you feel like whipping up a steak and tail, I’d be more than happy to eat it.” He lifted the binoculars back to his eyes and scanned the area once more. “You’re sure they haven’t left this location?”

“Well, no. Not positive. But from the way they talked, they had no intentions of actually leaving. They just wanted to make it sound that way to Walter Simmons.” Mick stretched and cracked the knuckles in his hands.

“Other than the guards milling about, I see nothing happening.”

Mick shrugged. “They stay pretty much inside unless they’re needed.” He noted Bigby staring at him suspiciously. “That’s what I noticed anyway.”

“I’ve seen one vehicle show up but nobody leaves.” He jotted more notes in his pad and then turned his attention back through the window. “Strange lot, aren’t they?”

“I’ve seen stranger.”

“I’m sure you have.” He bit off another chunk from the protein bar and continued to watch the hangar. “I wish there was a building on the other side. I need to see where their air intakes are.”

Mick shot him a curious glance. “Air intakes? Why?”

Big lowered the binoculars and shot him an evil grin. “How else am I going to introduce my favorite gas to them?”

“You…you’re going to
gas
them?”

“To start with.” Big bit off the last of the protein bar and dropped the wrapper to the carpet below. “Then I’ll make sure they can’t come back by ensuring there’s enough high velocity lead in their diets.” He chuckled at his own little joke.

Mick groaned and rolled to his side. “But Jenny’s in there.”

Big lowered the binoculars and studied him. “What part of ‘I don’t care’ did you not understand?”

Mick inhaled deeply and got to his feet. “You do realize that Mr. Simmons will spare no expense to hunt you down. He won’t stop…ever. Not until your head is on a pike.”

Big chuckled and lifted the spy glass back to his face. “Like I care. As soon as I destroy the squads, Hell itself could open up and swallow me whole and I’d go happily.”

“What in the world could they have done to you that you hold that much hate?”

Bigby looked away from the window and shot Mick a hateful stare. “They took my best mate and commanding officer. They took two armies from me.” He slipped the dust caps back onto the binoculars and settled into the chair beside the window. “I walked away from my career for that man. We had plans, ya know. Big plans. And along comes these haphazard dumbasses and take it all away. I’ve got nothing now, and it’s all their fault.”

Mick listened to him and slowly nodded. “But Jenny had nothing to do with any of that. She just got here. It’s not her fault.”

“Casualty of war, kid. Casualty of war.”

*****

Brooke rolled away from Kalen and gasped to catch her breath. “How much time do we have left?”

Kalen shrugged and nipped at the tender flesh of her side causing her to jump. “Probably enough time for one more.” He ran a fingertip down her spine and watched her stiffen.

“Sorry, love, we’re about to go into battle. I need to eat something.” She stood up and he watched as the sheet slid from her lithe body.

“My goodness. You truly are a heavenly body.” He leaned forward and bit her on the cheek of her bottom, causing her to squeal and swipe at him.

“I mean it. Stop or I won’t be held responsible for what happens next.” She laughingly pulled her top back on and began to shimmy into her leather pants.

“Oh, wow, I love watching you do that.” He sat on the edge of the bed and reached for her again. She quickly hopped aside and laughed as he playfully grabbed at her. “Come to me,” he hissed as he stood and pulled her to him. He shoved his face into the crook of her shoulder and nibbled up the side of neck and to her earlobe.

“Please, Kalen, I really have to eat something.” She tried to push him away and he held his arm out to her.

“So have a quick snack.” He smiled at her mischievously.

Brooke paled and quickly shook her head. “I-I can’t.” She pushed past him and made for the door.

“But why? I don’t mind. Really.”

She froze at the door and exhaled slowly. “Kalen…vampires cannot feed from elves.” She turned slowly and gave him a sad smile. “It’s like giving alcohol to an alcoholic. Once we start…we can’t stop. And the effects are…not good.”

He lowered his arm and closed the distance between them. “I’m sorry, Brooke. I didn’t realize.” He pulled her into an embrace and gently kissed her cheek. “Go if you need to. Eat and gather your strength.” He pulled back and gave her a broad smile. “I’ll wait for you topside.”

She gave him a sheepish smile and slipped through his door. He felt her own door shut through the concrete wall, and he placed his hand against the wall and closed his eyes. He tried to ‘feel’ her on the other side, but all he could feel was the cold of the cinder block. He sighed lightly and began dressing.

As he stood at his door and prepared to leave, he glanced once more at the bed that was still warm from their lovemaking. He smiled to himself and wrapped the bow over his shoulder before pulling the door shut behind him. He may never be able to return home, but it didn’t matter. She was his home now.

*****

Lilith stepped out onto the balcony of the warehouse and watched as more of her Legion came to her. They were arriving in groups of three or four at a time and quickly making their new home war ready.

She listened to the steady ‘beep-beep’ of trucks as they backed up and equipment was unloaded. She smiled to herself when she saw some of the crates that she feared had been intercepted being unloaded. She would see to it that they were rerouted. They would attack the largest churches first and work their way down. Amongst those cathedrals, she intended to send a team to attack the Capitol and the White House.

She felt Samael’s hand as it slipped around her waist. “Soon your Legion will be complete.”

“And we will go to the human hunters and regain that which is ours.”

“Until then, you will be sending out the remaining devices?”

She nodded as she watched her Legion hard at work. “They will be in place or close to it. Then once we have reclaimed what is ours, they too, will be positioned and readied.”

Samael watched as the Legion repacked the crates and prepared them for shipment. “At what point will I be making my appearance to the humans?”

She turned and ran her hand across his broad chest. “Soon, my love. Once we have destroyed the churches, you shall step forward and declare yourself the one responsible. While the humans are still trying to ascertain how to deal with a ‘devil’, I’ll position myself to step in and take the reins.” She smiled at him and he felt his insides flutter. She was beginning to realize her true potential for evil and it made him love her that much more. “After I show them that only I can control the monstrous, evil, vile creature responsible for all of this death and destruction, I’ll simply demand that they bow to me if they want to be saved.”

“I’ve wondered, what will you do if they refuse? They can be quite stubborn.”

She laughed, a deep, hearty laugh. “My love, they want to be ruled. It’s in their basic makeup. They would rather be ruled than allowed their illusion of freedom.” She raked her nails across his chest causing him to shiver. “Just look at the people here. They pretend that they’re free, yet they do nothing to stop their own rulers from stealing more of their freedoms with each passing day.”

“There is a difference in being governed and being ruled, my love.”

She turned and leaned against his abdomen. “Is there? I think not. Not truly. And once they think that the only way they can be saved is to bow to me and call me their queen, they’ll stand in line to kiss my feet.”

Samael raised a brow at her and shook his head slightly. “I hope that you are right.”

“I am. Wait and see. They will cower and cry and beg me to save them.” She suddenly spun and gave him a chill smile. “But you have to truly step up and show them your evil side. You need to make them believe that you truly
are
your brother.”

Samael smiled at her then lifted her to face him. He planted a kiss on her mouth then dropped her. “If anybody knows how evil my brother can be, it’s me.”

She quickly smoothed her gown then stared upwards at him. “It’s not me you have to convince, my love. It’s the surviving humans. They have to believe that you truly are Satan.”

“As I said, have no fears.” He stared out through the hundreds of Centurions working below. “I know evil.”

*****

Ingram marched into Jameson’s office and dropped the report on his desk. “Results are in.” He sat in the chair opposite the older man and watched as he scanned the report.

“These reaction times are accurate?”

“To the microsecond.” Ingram smiled. “We calibrated their reactions to the recordings and it’s spot on.”

Jameson smiled as she went through the report more thoroughly. “I’ve never seen anything like this.”

“Look at the measured reaction times for the fangers.”

“Oh my…” Jameson trailed off as he double checked the report. “And you’re positive that these are accurate?”

“Of course.” Ingram leaned back in the chair and hooked his thumbs together behind his head. “The Titans are stronger, faster and have quicker reaction times than the fangers they hunt.”

Jameson slowly closed the report and inhaled deeply. “You know what this means, don’t you?”

“I know that the intel is true. Older fangers are stronger and faster, but for the most part, unless the Titans are dealing with some seriously
old
bastard, they’ll have the advantage. Add in their tactical knowledge and weaponry? They’ll have the advantage even then, too.”

Jameson shook his head. “That’s not what I meant.” He slid the report to the side of this desk and smiled broadly. “They’re more deadly than the Monster Squads.”

“Oh, that.” Ingram waved him off. “Yeah, I already had that figured out.” He chuckled as he sat up. “But do you realize? Once we clean out the squads and then start eliminating the other monsters…the vampire council won’t be an issue at all.”

Jameson nodded. “We just make sure we get paid first.” He winked at Ingram.

“Oh, of course.” Ingram laughed as he stood up and turned for the door. “Once the payment hits our Swiss accounts, they’re toast.”

“Who’d have thought.” Jameson rocked back and forth as he stared off. “The very group that hired us to remove the Monster Squad would get taken out by the same super soldiers.” He laughed as he came to his feet.

“I love the irony.” Ingram reached for the door and paused. “By the way, they’ll be ready to head north this evening.”

“Are you planning on going with them?” Jameson sat on the corner of his desk as he watched the smaller man.

“Oh, no, no, no…I’ll watch the live feed through the drones. They have some excellent video equipment and the lag time is near nil.”

“Where are we staging at?”

Ingram turned back and shot him a knowing smile. “The command center is finished. We’ll be observing from there.”