Chapter 7

Timothy Stokes studied the fetus that was Josette, he watched as she developed through to the third trimester and smiled, "Soon, little missy we can return you to your mother."

The fetus opened her eyes and looked at Timothy and she smiled, moving her small delicate hand to the tubes side. He put his fingertip up to her hand and watched her try to curl her finger around his finger. "Stokes you know you are risking a lot going against protocol for this."

It was a statement more than a question and the questioner was female. Turning he peered at Isabella Gravatas, the team leader of the Charlie Team of SHADOWS. "Yeah I know but I would rather risk it all then loose it all for nothing."

She was striking with her platinum hair, impossibly green eyes, and a body that would drive many men to distraction. Rumor had it by just walking down the street one day she caused a wreck as a poor sucker was so caught up in watching her move he got distracted and drove his car into a light post. Timothy knew she had an interest in him but he was not interested in her. She shook her head moved from the room.

The man was a fool, a brilliant fool but a fool none the less. They were about to face one of the biggest assaults from the dark powers initiative since her memory could recall in this new century and it was all because of that things mother.

If she had not been aligned to the greater good she would have been tempted to turn the mother over to Baal in exchange for some peace and quiet. A deeper part of her knew that would not be an option without loosing her humanity. Moving to the war room she pushed down her natural feelings of just plain not giving a flying turd over what was about to happen and slide into resolve to do what she did the best and that was kill demons.

She arrived in time to hear Team Alpha was about to fold and that Team Beta would follow, then her team would be up. The Head of Operations droned on as to what the objective would be and to avoid soft target casualties that would raise public awareness to the existence of such things as demons, werewolves, vampires and ghouls.

She just wanted the briefing over so she could get out there and in the action. Then she showed up, the high and mighty Miss Thang herself, the commander turned the briefing over to her and Isabella was doing a slow burn. If she had not been so resentful, she might have heard one of the most important pieces of information.

She would have heard that this was the holy grail of all incursions and that they should be alert that it was headed by something more than some demon under lord. Only half listening to Josette she failed to hear the name of Baal being mentioned. The last thing she heard was a dismissal and the arrival of Delta Team.

Josette looked around at the green recruits in the room and her heart sank because she knew with an assault as large as this one, they were under siege by more than some penny anny under lord. Baal was a pain in her ass he had been that burning hemorrhoid that had held her attention since her conception.

This time she was not as confident about going into this foray because of Cameron. After the briefings were over she met up with her team and moved past the flux lab. She knew she could not enter that room because she was in there in fetal form and to occupy the same dimension as herself put her own life at risk. She had been mad at her mother for what she thought was her stupidity over most of her life.

In this here and now, she knew her mother had loved her unconditionally that most of her mistakes in her life had been from ignorance not stupidity. A pang of guilt ate at her because this was a time that her mother might possibly die from this incursion if she messed up.

That truly scared her. She knew why Radu had fallen in love with her mother. Mother was one of those women that sucked in the darkest souls and wanted them to see into the light. She was a natural white power. Josette had not fully understood this for many years until today when she knew they all could die and the world would be plunged into one of the darkest times in existence.

Though her team was now in fold, she would be the last to leave. Moving to the scenario control room, she moved into the three hundred sixty degree screen room and stood on a center dais. "Parameters to one eighty."

She spoke to the computer. The technically enhanced voice held a distinctly British female's voice responded, "Access code please."

Josette turned to the monitor that rose on a pneumatic lift. Josette had a small panel of numbered buttons. Without looking she laid her palm over the panel and typed in her access code and waited. A blue ultra violet light scanned her hand, then her body. "DNA completed, please do proceed with your request."

Josette manually input the data she requested into the system. "Bethany, run Operation Mother Rescue 25 May, 1968." There was a series of lights that flashed briefly and the sound of the search engine as it ran the data banks for her request.

"Located, Rescue of Victoria Winters, twentieth century fifth month, twenty-fifth day nineteen hundred and sixty-eight. Statistical outcome as follows . . ." The computer ran through the casualty list, the probable data gleaned from the mission and the recruitment value of those captured.

"Bethany, please play the recruitment of Cameron Dragonsbane." The screen in front of her blurred with static air and then there it was her first mission to rescue her mother . . .

Sorin pressed his body against the wall of his prison; he had tried to destroy the hydra. He had succeeded in positioning and preparing for a launch forward that would allow him to drive his sword deep into the heart of the beast. Raising his sword he pushed forward and landed on the outer front scale of the horror that was a hydra.

Raising his sword he felt the beast shudder then he was falling when the hydras' form melted and was no more. Sorin lay on the floor looking around stunned by what had just happened. A deep voice that echoed the chamber, "Well done Sorin of Clan Tepes. You have surprised me with your determination to win this battle. For that I grant you a favor, name it and it is yours."

Sorin stood and looked around the room, confused and hopeful. "Who offers such a boon to this humble servant of Prince Vlad?"

From a radiant glow of light a figure stepped forward from the blackness that had surrounded him. He wore a black robe that was lined with hieroglyphic designs in gold. His face was timeless and would have Sorin believe they were the same age. His hair was black as coal and his eyes were even darker than his hair, he wore a stylishly cut beard and mustache and now the shadows around him formed a half circle and flanked him on both sides.

He noted his entourage was women of varying sizes and great beauty. He carried a staff of pure obsidian black and he rested against it for support. "I, Baal the god of Death ask you Sorin Dragomir, what do you desire the most as a reward?" He had not heard his true last name in many a century so this truly must be the God he said he was. Sorin thought only a moment and then spoke his wish.

"I want Victoria Winters Collins as my mate in your hell for the rest of our lives. I desire her husband Barnabas Collins to be returned to what he was a vampire so he roams the earth desolate and damned for the rest of eternity."

Baal nodded, "So be it, your wish will be granted, I will send forth my minions and have this mortal woman brought to you. You shall reside at my side as my right hand successor for the rest of eternity and be afforded all the rights thereof. You have proven your worth for this honor and from this day forward you shall be known as Baalescu, son of Baal."

As soon as Baal had uttered these words another shadowed coalesced into being and stood behind Baal. Sorin looked at the man that stood a full head taller than Baal. "Caan, come and say hello to your nephew." Sorin watched the man and determined the arrogance of the man was written in the way he stood and how he looked down his nose at those around him.

"I am sending you on a mission Caan, you will go to the surface world and find a woman named Victoria Winters Collins, you will bring her here as a gift from me to this man I now call my son."

Caan wearing a centurion's cape and helm looked bored nodded to his brother and stepped back disappearing into the darkness once again. Sorin had never felt fear, looking at this man did give him pause, he was a dangerous man and a wild power that Sorin recognized immediately having shared in that power with Vlad. Baal turned to the bevy of scantily clad beauties that stood around their master.

They wore golden chains of enslavement and tribute to their master and awaited his desire or requests. "Ladies, take my son to his new chambers and entertain him as he wishes. " The girls moved forward eager to please their master and this handsome new man that had just been given over to their care.

Caan moved through the chamber of time, his figure changing from that of a centurion solider to that of a businessman and so dressed he stepped through to the streets of Collinsport Maine. Looking around he frowned, there was a subtle break in the time continuum he knew it and he waited and watched.

From the dark ally, he saw her for the first time, she was slender and graceful as she tumbled from the alley only to roll to a standing position and run back into the alley. The noises gave evidence that there was a fight; a monumental fight and he surmised it was a fight with a demon, one of Mammon's slug demons, he stood leaning negligently against the wall watching this incredible female.

She ran up the side of the wall back flipping to the demons shoulders and neck, locking her legs around its neck she reached into that tight fitting suit and withdrew a razor sharp wire, wrapping it the demons head was cleaved from its body. Tumbling backwards she rolled off the creatures body.

Taking the wire which was her weapon; she tucked it back into her jacket pocket; then she reached for her cell phone, dialing two numbers she spoke quickly and to the point, "Collins, one for bag and burn behind the Blue Whale, we will fold in 3-2-1." The image fizzled from his view and he was impressed. He had to know who she was and from where she came. It mattered not for now; he had an assignment for his brother and had to see it done.

This was a boring assignment and well beneath his capabilities. Stepping back into the now deserted streets of Collinsport, he had to find this woman and bring her to hell. Moving to the one place that would best suit his need for information he entered the Blue Whale tavern and took a seat in the corner booth.

There he sat and waited. Bob, the bartender moved to take his order. Caan looked at Bob and spoke softly, "Whiskey sour." Caan laid a five-dollar bill on the table and continued to wait. When Bob returned with change and his drink, Caan waved him away, "Keep the change." Sitting quietly he knew he would not have to wait long. The place would provide him with what he needed, information. It did not disappoint. The evening began to take hold, the town's denizens and populace started to filter into the smoke filled parlor.

"Yah, Hank we got the invitation to the big house. The old lady is thrilled; to me it's just a smack in the face. If we mattered we would have been invited to the weddin."

That was from a middle-aged man wearing a seaman's jacket and reeked of rotted fish parts. Wrinkling his nose Caan listened to what his buddy was saying.

"Well Joab, it's a Collins gathering, means you will be fed well and allowed to enter the great house on the hill."

The one called Joab sniffed and wiped his nose on his sleeve. "I know its just for the most part of my career in their cannery that woman was considered the witch on the hill, when truth be told she was a bitch on the hill."

The one called Hank obviously did not hold the contempt for the Collins family as his friend had. "Well she paid for her sins, and best you remember its her signature on your pay cheek its week."

More of the ilk that was this town's populace began to filter into the bar and the conversations ranged from the marriage of the matriarch on the hill to the town's sheriff to the newest members of the Collins family.

Finally, a lovely young woman of some note garnered attention entered on the arm of a handsome youthful man. Many of the patrons greeted her with a hearty "Hello Maggie, Joe, nice evenin ain't it?"

She greeted those that hailed her and then she and her companion sat at one of the tables awaiting another couple, which arrived shortly after they had. The tall lanky frame of the male complimented the slender form of the pretty brunette on his arm. "Quentin! Daphne over here!" Joe hailed them over to their table. The one called Quentin held the chair for the young pretty lady and then turned his chair around and straddled it draping himself over the back of the chair he ordered brandy for he and his companion while Maggie had a coke and Joe had a whiskey.

"So, what do you think about that tale Vicki had about Adam earlier."

Quentin sighed and looked at Daphne, "I believe Vicki, if she says Lang is you know what she says he is, then he is just that and I do not doubt her word on the matter."

Daphne shook her head. "It's incredible that while we were gone she had been kidnapped by Lang and used in some kind of horrible experiment. I always thought Lang was an odd duck but this takes the cake."

Daphne shifted as Bob sat her brandy in front of her and Quentin's in front of him, "Hey Quentin, I heard you and Barnabas were back. How was island life?"

Again, another one of his targets mentioned. "Island life was great Bob, you should try it sometime especially after winters here in Maine."

Bob laughed, "Well if I can get the old lady out of the country then I would try it."

Quentin laid a ten on his tray and waved him off, "Keep the change Bob." Quentin looked around and noted Caan in the corner nursing his drink. Dropping his eyes, he turned back to Joe and Maggie, "Speaking of, after they are done with the festivities at Collinwood, Barnabas and Vicki said they would meet us here for a nightcap."

Maggie seemed delighted, "I want to see her in a more lighten mood. What with her being attacked this morning in her room, I wonder she would be up for getting out."

Daphne sipped her drink, "My concern was for her baby. She and the baby could have been killed today."

Caan wondered who could want to harm a pregnant woman and the thought his brother had sent him to retrieve this woman so it could have been anyone. He needed to move on extricating her to the underworld before whomever or what ever wanted her dead succeeded.

This sure would have angered his brother. A change in room pressure and his gaze drifted to the door when a lovely woman in the flush of her pregnancy entered followed by a distinguished man that held an air of the otherworldly to him.

The foursome at the table waved to the arrival of the couple. "Barnabas, Vicki over here! Bob! A brandy and . . . "

Vicki smiled and Caan was struck by the natural innocent beauty she was, "Water please or a ginger ale." Bob nodded and went to prepare their drinks. Barnabas helped Vicki with her coat and then removed his own Inverness jacket to drape over the back of their chairs.

Vicki smiled and was enjoying her evening until something dark pervaded her surroundings and her hackles rose, as did the hair on her arms. Subtly she shifted and let her gaze travel the room and her gaze came to rest on the dark figure of the man in the corner.

His gaze was penetrating and it tore through the core of her being. Whispering softly, she spoke one word, "protect." And Caan was astonished his probe was cut short by a powerful surge and a wall of light lay over the party at the table. "Well, well you are a white witch. How interesting."