Immortal Justice
By: HufflePuffGal223
Prologue:
[Baghdad, Iraq]
[23rd January, 1991]
[Operation Desert Storm, First Gulf War]
"Less than a week ago, in the early morning hours of August 2nd, Iraqi Armed Forces, without provocation or warning, invaded a peaceful Kuwait. Facing negligible resistance from its much smaller neighbor, Iraq's tanks stormed in blitzkrieg fashion through Kuwait in a few short hours. With more than 100,000 troops, along with tanks, artillery, and surface-to-surface missiles, Iraq now occupies Kuwait. This aggression came just hours after Saddam Hussein specifically assured numerous countries in the area that there would be no invasion. There is no justification whatsoever for this outrageous and brutal act of aggression. A puppet regime imposed from the outside is unacceptable. The acquisition of territory by force is unacceptable. No one, friend or foe, should doubt our desire for peace; and no one should underestimate our determination to confront aggression. Four simple principles guide our policy. First, we seek the immediate, unconditional, and complete withdrawal of all Iraqi forces from Kuwait. Second, Kuwait's legitimate government must be restored to replace the puppet regime. And third, my administration, as has been the case with every President from President Roosevelt to President Reagan, is committed to the security and stability of the Persian Gulf. And fourth, I am determined to protect the lives of American citizens abroad." ~George H.W. Bush, August 8th, 1990 speech
I really can't say that I enjoy helicopter rides, to be honest; too much jostling and turbulence for my taste, I guess. But in this case, it was the fastest way to reach the Army base just outside of Baghdad; the message sent to me by one of my Captains had been urgent and rushed at best, calling me from the grounds in Kuwait in order to overlook a plan one of the Colonels had developed. Though we were "winning," for lack of a better word, we still needed to maintain battle strategy in order to drive Hussein's army out. I clutched my seat again as the pilot made a rather sharp turn, nervously squeaking a, "Sorry, General!" before slowing down as a blinding white field of lights gleamed below us. "We are here!"
A few base workers waved their glow sticks in order to guide the pilot to the landing pad before scuttering away when the Merlin HC3 settled into a stopping position. Shaking my head, I removed the headset that had been pressed up against my skull for a better part of 7 hours, smoothing out my uniform and the files that I had brought along with me before saying, "Thank you for the ride, Lieutenant! Take care getting back to Kuwait."
"You take care too, General!" he responded, throwing a quick salute that I mirrored. Just as soon as the helicopter had landed, it started back up again before disappearing into the dark navy desert sky above. I took a deep breath and turned around, only to be greeted with the glad mannerisms of the Captain who had reached out to me, a salute etched across his features. "Glad to see you made it here safely, General! Sorry about the short notice about flying up here from Kuwait, but we needed you urgently. Nice flight coming up here?"
I grinned, returning the salute. "Can't say I enjoy 7 hours of sand, but hey, what can you do?"
He laughed. "Glad to hear it! Follow me, and I will take you to Colonel Higgens; he wants your approval before he sends it off." Turning, he led me to a small tan-colored building located in the middle of the base, a few guards coming over to escort, but once we were inside the building, the door shut tightly, leaving us in a dimly-lit hallway lined with guards. Though everything was fine as we made our way to the room at the end, when I passed one guard with a small, still-bleeding wound, I ducked my head as a terrible hunger arose within me. I felt my eyes pulse slightly as the eye veins were forced to the surface, turning my eyes a horrifying red. Don't look, don't look, for the love of all that's good and holy, don't let them know! Thankfully, the feeling passed just before we entered the room, and I lifted my head.
The room inside was fairly roomy compared the the small size of the building, and was just as dimly lit as the rest of it. A long dark oak conference table stretched across the room's span, with a massive map on the wall behind the head chair, which was occupied by a sandy-haired man bent over a piece of paper. When the Captain knocked on the door, the man looked up, first in confusion, then in understanding as he motioned for us to come in. "Colonel Higgens, General Lee is here."
"Excellent to see you, General!" Higgens exclaimed, saluting. Once I returned the salute, he turned to the officer. "Would you mind leaving us to converse privately, Captain Alexander?" Once Alexander ducked out, Higgens turned to me, staring me down with all seriousness. "Balthazar sent me to see how you were, Abira."
"I've been doing fine, Leniel," I replied in a low voice. I placed the folders down on the table, which he seemed to eye with particular interest. "Here are the reports of the last movements of the demon troops; a pain in the neck getting them, since they seem just about everywhere, but I was able to pull enough information in order to get Michael's attention."
"Excellently done," he congratulated, picking the files up and quickly looking through them. However, a questioning look soon came over his face, and he pointed at me. "When do they send you back?"
"They said I return to Houston next Wednesday," I replied, tilting my head. "Why? Is something wrong?"
Sighing, he nodded. "Balthazar and his unit caught wind of an odd and fatal bite in New Orleans. Body drained of blood, infected bite- it's all very odd."
I felt a chill crawl up my spine and my heart rate went up when he asked, "Have you been controlling your blood cravings?"
"I have had flare-ups, but I haven't harmed anyone," I answered, pausing for a moment to run my fingers through my hair. "This research may take some time, but I have a good feeling I know what may have caused this bite, though it's mostly legend." I looked up at Leniel. "When do I start?"