Homecoming (30 page)

“So, you should be good for a trip home then.” He stepped inside and over the prone body of a woman dressed in a housecoat.

“I don’t like this.”

He did a double take. “Don’t like what?”

“This.” She indicated the bodies scattered about. “This taking of so many lives just because…well, because we need to live.”

Damien gave her a confused stare. “Are you okay? Are you feeling yourself?”

She rolled her eyes and turned away from him. “I feel fine.” She suddenly stood and was in front of him before he noticed the movement. “Other than the remorse for killing so many people.”

Damien placed a hand on her forehead. “I don’t think it’s possible you could be feverish.”

She pushed him away violently and stalked passed him. “You aren’t listening. You never listen. You only hear what you want to hear.”

Damien watched her storm out of the villa and into the darkness. He quickly went after her, his hand wrapped around the stone heart in his jacket pocket. “Wait, I have something.”

“I know what you have. I can feel its presence on you.” She turned and he didn’t recognize the ferocity in her eyes. “I don’t want it. You should throw it into the ocean and forget you ever laid eyes on it.”

He stared at her with amazement. “I thought this was what you wanted? I thought—”

“You shouldn’t
think
, lover. It’s not your forte.” She pushed passed him and began walking down the lane.

Damien felt his anger rise. He had gone on this mission…this quest on her behalf. When she first made herself known to him, this was her calling for him. She convinced him that it was his purpose in life. It was his calling. He was the one who was supposed to bring her back to her full glory. Him!

He moved so suddenly that she didn’t hear him, and he tackled her to the ground. In her younger vampire body, she was no match for his stolen strength and power. He pinned her to the cold, damp ground then spun her over to face him.

“You started this,” he hissed. “You started me on this stupid search to find all of your missing parts and now that we have the final piece you suddenly want to call it quits?” He pulled the petrified heart from his jacket and held it in front of her. He actually took great pleasure in seeing the shock and fear in her eyes as he rolled the withered husk around in his hands over her face. “I should ram this down your throat and watch you try to hack it up.”

Rachel suddenly went limp under him and turned her eyes away. “Go ahead,” her voice barely a whisper in the misty night air.

Damien sat upright and stared at her, unsure what to do or say next. “Do what?”

“You heard me. Go ahead.” She finally met his shocked gaze. “If it means that we can finally be done with this, then I won’t resist. At least I won’t have to wonder where you’ll find enough pure blood to revive my corpse.”

Damien sat back and studied her through narrowed eyes. “Is that what this is about?”

“Partly.”

“You’re worried about…” He tossed his head back and laughed a deep, hearty laugh. “The Lilith I know wouldn’t give two shits about where the blood came from. She wouldn’t care about killing an entire town if it meant she got a single meal from it.” He stood and brushed the dirt from his pants. “You’ve been trapped in that body too long. The
humanity
is still fresh in it.”

Rachel made no effort to stand. She lay on the ground and watched him tower above her. “You say humanity like it’s a bad thing.”

“When they’re our food, it is.” He held out a hand to help her up, but she ignored it.

“You haven’t fed from humans in so long you’ve probably forgotten what they taste like.” The attempt at a barb had little effect.

“No matter, darling.” Damien shoved the heart back into his jacket then pulled her to the waiting car. “We have a plane waiting to take us back. Once we’re there and we have you safely tucked back into your body, you’ll thank me.”

Rachel said nothing as he shoved her into the passenger seat, but she sent up a silent prayer to any God who would listen to a vampire as he drove them to the private airport.

16

Mark hung up the phone and typed the commands into the keyboard, pulling up what little stats he could glean from the spotters on the ground near Lake Charles. Both spotters had been on a fishing trip together and followed up on the report of a ‘swamp critter’. Hearing reports of everything from a walking catfish to a giant mudskipper, the two men finally found the tracks of the beast and followed it along the edge of a bog before spotting the creature emerging from a wooded area near Lake Charles and making its way north. One of the spotters had the foresight to tag the creature with a radio frequency tag in the event it took to the water before the squads could respond.

As more cell phone photographs came through, Mark transferred them to the teams PDA’s and updated their intel with the radio frequency ID. “They’re saying it’s a slow mover, but it looks pretty stout. Remember, gators move slow out of the water, but they’re still strong. Don’t try to manhandle this thing.”

“Copy that, OPCOM. Do we want it live or simply dealt with?” The sound of the helicopter’s blades chopping through the air cut through the background of the transmission.

Mark looked to Colonel Mitchell who watched the dot of the approaching craft close on the location of the spotters. Mitchell glanced over his shoulder and shrugged. “Your call.”

Mark exhaled long and slow as he mulled over the possibilities. Had they asked six months ago, he would have told them to simply tag it and bag it. Bring the cold body back for the techs to dissect. But after their experience with other sentient species, he wasn’t so quick to kill something just because it wasn’t comely to the eye. “Try to make some kind of contact with it. See if it’s intelligent. If it shows any hostility, drop it.”

“Affirmative, OPCOM.”

Mark turned to the countdown clock and noted the time in his log as Dr. Peters stepped into the OPCOM. “You summoned me, Colonel?”

Mitchell motioned to the screens above his head. “Ever see anything like this?”

Evan studied the creature and shook his head. “Not exactly.” He shuffled through the digital images and paused at the one that showed the clearest side view. “It has definite aquatic features. Too large to be Elven in nature, so that rules out a goblin.”

“Goblin?” Matt moved closer to look at what Evan was pointing at. “What do you mean goblin?”

“They’re a type of malicious elf. Loners, really. Judging by the anatomy of this creature, I’d say it is most probably an aquatic troll. Note the three fingers, three toes. Quite indicative of a troll. The broad head, wide set eyes.”

“An aquatic troll?” Matt pulled the photo up to the larger screen to enhance the details. “I’ve never heard of a water troll.”

“They’re rare, but they exist. I’d not heard of any outside of Scandinavia. That doesn’t mean they couldn’t be here though. They’ve been known to travel with aquatic bands of goblins.”

“Goblins again.” Matt ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “What’s the deal with the goblins?”

Evan reached for a keyboard and punched in his access code. Pulling up his personal files he accessed a fuzzy photo and placed it alongside the troll on the big screen. “Aquatic goblins are mean little bastards. Rumored to even ride sharks and are basically tiny little pirates. They like to sneak aboard water craft at night, rob them of valuables and food stuffs. Some lore even lean toward them eating those aboard and setting the ships adrift.”

“Could they be the cause of the ships in the Bermuda Triangle?” Mark asked.

Evan rubbed at his chin as he considered the question. “I suppose it’s possible, but there are a lot more plausible explanations for many of the lost ships in that area.”

“Back to the troll, Doctor.” Matt pointed to the screen. “Any chance there’s intelligence behind those bugged eyes?”

Evan shook his head. “No. They’re like any other troll. Basic instincts. Eat, shit, sex, destroy anything that gets in its way.”

Matt took a deep breath and gave Mark a knowing look. “Better give the boys the heads-up.”

“On it.”

*****

Paul held the blow torch in shaky hands while Rufus picked up the withered heart with the metal tongs. “Are we ready?”

Rufus nodded. “Go ahead.” He shifted his grip and held the heart in front of him. “But I think we are wasting our time.”

Foster adjusted the flame until no more smoke came from the end of the bottle then turned it toward the shriveled mass of muscle. “Here goes nothing.” He touched the flame to the brown mass held in the tongs and watched as it blackened, then slowly caught fire. Acrid smoke rose in the air as the desiccated muscle slowly burned, a popping noise occasionally snapping a small piece from the heart and sending it across the room.

Paul’s worried gaze turned to Rufus who had visibly paled. His hands shook as he held the torch to the muscle and watched as it slowly blackened completely and turned to ash. “We’re screwed.”

“
Non
.” Rufus placed the remains of the heart upon the ashes. “Just because it burns does not mean it cannot be reanimated.” He turned and motioned to the servant girl by the door. She quickly brought a pitcher of blood and Rufus slowly poured it over the ashen remains. “We simply wait to see if it—”

“You said it could not be destroyed.” Paul’s voice had risen an octave in his panic. “This can’t be her heart!”

“Calm yourself, brother.” Rufus continued to pour blood over the charred muscle. “Just give it a little time.”

Paul paced the small area and occasionally glanced at the ashy goop in the steel bowl. “It’s not doing anything.”

Rufus watched intently, praying that the heart would begin to regenerate. When it became evident that it would do nothing, Rufus lowered his head in defeat. “We were misinformed.”

“We were duped!” Paul turned for the door.

“Where do you go?”

“I’m leaving. There’s no way to stop her now. It would be death to try.”

Rufus stepped between him and the exit. “
Non
, you cannot go.”

“We can’t stop them, Rufus! We have no way of reining her in. If Damien is a revenant, there’s nothing I can do, especially if he’s under her spell.” He tried to push past Rufus only to be blocked again.

“We have to try, brother.” Rufus held up both hands and placed them gently on his brother’s shoulders. “Calm yourself and listen.”

Paul felt himself instantly calm, his attention turned to the sound of Rufus’ voice. “I’m listening.”

“We have faced much worse than Lilith. We faced the Sicarii, and where is he now? We must remove the edict from our heads, and this is the only way. You know this. You must accept this and come to terms with what we must do.” Rufus stared deeply into his brother’s eyes and watched as he slowly nodded his head.

“But how, brother?”

“There is more than one way to accomplish any goal. If we must, we can draw and quarter her again. If we cannot do that…I have a weapon that should work.”

Paul slowly looked up, his eyes wide. “Weapon?”

Rufus nodded. “I’ve been working on it in private. It will be ready and delivered shortly.”

Paul sighed audibly. “Why did you not say so?”

“Because it is a last resort. The ramifications of using it are…dire.”

“If it will stop Lilith, who cares?”

Rufus smiled sadly and patted his brother’s cheek. “
Exactement.
”

*****

Laura jostled awake as the small craft landed and began slowing on the ground. She lifted her head and winced at the crick in her neck. Her eyes squinted to see into the gloom of twilight, the outline of dense trees and perhaps even jungle or rainforest edging along the sides of the small airport.

She stretched slightly and sat upright in the small seat. “Where are we?”

“About halfway, stopping for fuel,” Jennifer replied as she tossed her headphones aside. “Are you hungry?”

“I could definitely swallow something, but I’m more thirsty than anything. My mouth feels like I was chewing cotton.” She pressed her tongue against her teeth and tried to force her mouth to water. “Please tell me I wasn’t snoring.”

Jennifer shook her head in reply. “We couldn’t have heard it if you were.” The engine slowed and sputtered to stillness. Mick quickly unhooked his restraints and exited the plane. “There’s a small terminal over there. If we’re lucky, the grill is still open.”

“You’ve been here before?” Laura waited until Jennifer stepped out then flipped her seat up so that she could exit.

“Once. A long time ago.”

Jennifer stretched and Laura slowly worked the kinks from her neck and shoulders. “Will he be joining us, or do you want to bring him back something?”

Jennifer glanced back at the brooding Aussie. “I don’t know if he’s in the mood.”

Laura glanced back at the man, his face stoic. “Something I said?”

“Something
I
said.” Jennifer motioned her toward the small terminal building and held the door for her. The smell of fried foods and stale beer hit them as soon as the door opened. “Any idea what sounds good?”

“Anything but guinea pig.”

“I don’t think cuy is on the menu. How about a burger?”

“And a drink, please.” Laura excused herself to tidy up while the food was ordered. She wasn’t sure she wanted to see the state of the kitchen or the staff. She definitely wasn’t ready to see the state that the plane ride and short nap had left her in. She splashed cold water across her face and ran her fingers through her hair in an attempt to make herself appear more human. When she stepped back out, Jennifer was placing a tray on the table of a booth.

“Smells good.”

“Right now a fried shoe would smell good.” Laura took her seat and picked up the soda. The cold liquid coating her throat felt wonderful. “Thank you.”

Jennifer picked up her burger and poked through the stack. “So tell me more about this boss of yours.” She studied her burger, purposely avoiding Laura’s eyes. “Just so I have an idea of who it is I’m going to be meeting.”

Laura chewed a french fry, nodding. “Technically, I don’t think he’s still my boss. I technically quit about six months ago.”

“What happened?”

“It didn’t stick.” Laura smirked. “We were in the middle of something big and I…” she sighed and shook her head. “My heart just wasn’t in it anymore. I wanted out. We had my replacement ready and really I had no part to play in what was about to happen.”

“Your heart wasn’t in it? Somehow I think there’s more to the story than just your heart not being in it.”

Laura lowered her head, her mind going back over all of the things that had slowly worn her down. “It was a lot of things. We had lost people over the years. Well, one or two over a few years, anyway. But then in one fail swoop an entire team was wiped out. Then we had a run in with a politician and the things I did…” She lifted her face and Jennifer saw the haunted look in her eyes. “He committed suicide because of it.”

“Holy shit.”

“Yeah, holy shit is right.” Laura picked at her food, her appetite suddenly gone. “Then Matt, my boss, he starts really getting more and more aggressive. His wolf is having more of an effect on his everyday life. And he wants me to be his conscience.” She grunted a snort of derision. “Like I have nothing better to do than be Jiminy Cricket for him.”

“Is he still…?”

“No. He met somebody that helped him calm his inner wolf. At least, for a little while.” Laura pushed the food away and took another drink. “But I think the final straw was when we lost one of our operators on a mission. He was my responsibility.”

“You did something to get him hurt?”

“Well, no. But I was in charge and he was taken from us and tortured. I should have deployed…”

“Wait, so it really wasn’t your fault?”

Laura inhaled deeply and let it out slowly. “It doesn’t matter. The buck stops with me. I was in charge.”

Jennifer patted her hand. “It sounds like you tend to hang a lot of unnecessary crap on your shoulders.”

“I guess.” Laura shrugged. “Maybe.”

Jennifer set her hamburger down and smiled at the taller woman. “And you still haven’t really told me much about your boss.”

“Yeah, look at me twisting everything around to make it about me, right?”

“Wrap it up ladies. The plane’s fueled.” Mick stood near the door wiping his hands on a rag.

Jennifer’s face fell then she stood and began wrapping her food. “We can take this to go.”

Laura placed a hand on her arm, stopping her. “Is everything okay?”

Jennifer gave a furtive glance at the closing door then nodded. “Yeah, just a little tense. It’s fine, really.” She picked up her food and motioned to the door. “Let’s not give him any more reason to be grumpy, eh?”

*****

Apollo observed the men he was supposed to lead into battle as they went about their tasks, preparing their equipment and weaponry, checking their gear and sharpening their blades. Sheridan approached and nodded to the team, “They may not look like much, but they’re supposed to be quite lethal.”