Chapter 41: The Outpost

"The outpost should just be beyond that hill. . ." John mused, pointing to said hill about another mile down the road. "I'm guessing we're not going to park right at their front door, right?"

"You'd be correct on that one Johnnie Boy," Randy mused as he glared at the large residential homes that lined the street. They were quite spaced out, giving neighbors a feeling of privacy without being too far away from each other. "Looks like the Romanians have a preference for hiding their things in plain sight."

"I'd say," Ted mused. "Covens tend to put their security outposts in areas that aren't highly populated, like in the more industrial neighborhoods, but this looks like a pretty normal, suburban area to me."

"Then again, looks can be deceiving," Cody added, speaking his two cents. "For all we know, the Romanians own all the houses on this street and use it as dormitories for a training school they keep nearby."

"Considering the kind of clout and power that the Romanians have, Cody's idea isn't completely farfetched," John mumbled as they started climbing the hill. "Okay, the place is supposed to have the number 513 above its front door. That's our destination."

"With eyes like ours, that shouldn't be too hard to spot," Cody mumbled as he narrowed his eyes at a figure in the trees. "Also, I think I just spotted a guard in a tree on our left."

"You think you spotted one?" Randy asked as they reached the top of the hill.

"I'm certain I did," The mustached vampire said, correcting himself as they started on their descent. "He was definitely dressed to blend in with his surroundings."

"Vlad mentioned to me before we left that the Romanian guards love to have their scouts set up in spots some space away from their bases so that they could be warned of any incoming dangers ahead of time," John mumbled. "You must have spotted one of them. . . Looks like his camouflage isn't that good."

"Do you know the general estimate of how far the scouts set themselves up away from their home base?" Randy asked, a little annoyed that John had not mentioned this bit of info sooner.

"About a half mile in each cardinal direction," John answered, now noticing the glare the Viper was giving him. "Yeah, I should have mentioned that part about the scouts earlier in the drive, shouldn't I?"

"You think!?"

"Guys, I see the outpost!"

Randy and John both turned to see the building Ted was pointing at, a silver, two story home with a large porch in its front. The driveway was empty, save for two men in black talking with each other as they leaned against the fence wall. They did not even pay attention to the four as they drove by, too engrossed in their conversation to look up at the passing vehicle.

"Drive a little further John," Randy ordered as he faced forward. "We need to stay out of the scouts' line of sight, so we're going to have to backtrack once we find a place to park."

"Oh, I was so in the mood for a good hike . . ." The strongman mumbled, sarcasm lacing his tone as they continued down the road.

"Who said you were coming along for the hike?" Randy asked, his words sending a chill down his friend's spine. "You're staying with the car."

"Is it because I'm not a vampire?" John was quick to ask.

"Nah; it's because you're simply not fast enough to come with us, and you don't have to be a vampire to have super speed." Randy explained. "We have to be in and out without anyone noticing us if this little trip is going to be successful. . . It's better to make this a three-man affair than four, just for this instance of course."

"Of course, . . ." John grumbled, keeping his eyes forward. When they were finally certain that they were out of the scouts' line of sight, John pulled the car to a stop amongst a thicket of bushes just off the side of the road before cutting the engine, smirking. ". . . This should be a good spot to hide the car."

"It'll definitely be hard to see it if you're traveling along the road," Cody concluded as he undid his seatbelt. "As long as no one is looking too closely, our ride should be safe."

"Alright, on to the next issue: the scouts," Ted mumbled as the three vampires got out of the SUV. "It's not like we can cut them down and kill them. The people in the outpost would be suspicious if they don't report when they have to."

"That would definitely get Mr. S on our radar, and that's something we want to avoid as much as possible," John added as he too exited the car, only to head for the trunk. "Luckily, I think I have something in mind that should make this stealth operation a little easier."

"And that would be. . ?" Randy asked as John opened the trunk and pulled out his bag. His eyes widened slightly when he saw the bracelets that he pulled out, recognizing them immediately. "Enchanted sound mufflers?"

"They're the latest edition developed by the witches over in Research and Development," John smirked as he handed each man a bracelet. "As long as you three wear these bad boys, your movements will be completely silent to all outside ears, even in terrain such as this."

"It'll make us completely silent, but not completely invisible then," Cody concluded as he placed his bracelet on his right wrist.

"That's correct. . . The witches weren't able to get that far in their research," John mumbled as he closed back the trunk. "Plus, these bracelets are experimental. They haven't been completely tested in the field yet; only back in the lab."

"John, did you even get official permission from Natalya and company to use these?" Randy couldn't help but ask as he looked down at the metal band in his hand.

"Actually, I asked Natalya specifically since these bracelets are her pet project . . ." John clarified. "She agreed to release them to me as long as I reported their effectiveness back to her the next time we see each other. . . Also, try not to lose them guys. I don't want to be turned into a mouse anytime soon okay?"

"Noted," Ted mused, smirking as he started looking in the direction of the outpost. "Okay, how long do these bracelets keep us silent again?"

"As soon as you place it on your wrist, it works for one full hour, but it stops once the hour is up or the bracelet is broken in some way," John explained. "The good news is that these bracelets are not a one and done thing. However, you have to wait a minimum of two hours before they start working again."

"Oh, so they're self-rechargeable then. . . Good to know," Cody mused as he started walking forward. "Alright, let's get this show on the road. If we run into a scout, I can use my illusions to trick their mind."

"Lead the way Cody," Randy mused as he followed him, leaving Ted to cover the rear. The three quietly moved through the darkness, staying within the shadows as they moved toward their destination.

Along the way, they spotted another scout moving around about a quarter mile away from the outpost, but managed to bypass him easily once they realized that not only did Cody's illusions worked on him, but that he didn't hear them approach thanks to the sound-muffling bracelets they wore.

When they finally reached the outpost, Randy stayed behind the gate as Ted and Cody quickly did a perimeter sweep, reporting back that there were guards stationed at both the front and back doors.

"My illusions don't work on the guards at the doors. Their minds are too strong to penetrate," Cody grumbled once they regrouped. "Our best shot at entering the building is through one of the side windows."

"Got a preference in mind?" Randy asked as Ted started leading them around the property, stopping once they reached the other side of the building.

"The center window on the first floor seemed like a good bet to me," Ted said, pointing to said window. "It's the only one not showing any light, so no one must be in the room right now."

"Or someone could be in the room, but they're just sleeping," Randy mumbled, shaking his head. "Alright, what do we have left to lose? Who wants to go first?"

"Allow me. . ." Cody announced, swinging himself over the fence before landing with the grace of a cat. Randy and Ted repeated his movements and soon enough, they were pressing themselves against the side of the building as Cody worked to get the window open.

"Oh, please don't squeak. . ." Cody quietly pleaded as he slowly lifted the window open, quietly thanking whatever deity he could think of as the window went up without a sound. ". . . We're in luck boys!"

"Is there anyone inside?" Randy asked as Cody started looking around.

"No, and the door is closed. Looks like no one has been in here in a while," The illusionist mumbled as he quickly climbed into the room. "Guys, I've found a desktop!"

"Well, get on it then Cody!" Ted mumbled as Randy climbed into the room. "Are you in some kind of office?!"

"Nah; it's a bedroom," Cody answered as he sat down at the computer desk. When Ted entered the room, his eyes widened slightly when he saw the electronic setup that Cody sat in front of.

"Is this place's entire surveillance setup focused on this one computer?" Ted quietly asked as Cody turned on the tower.

"I don't think this computer was meant for surveillance . . . It would have been on already if it were," Cody mumbled as the computer's three monitors powered up, revealing a small window that requested login info. Taking out the envelope that held the credentials they received from Kozlov, Cody quickly typed it in and pressed 'Enter', letting a breath of relief pass his lips when he was successfully allowed access. "Alright, I'm in!"

"Good; start searching for anything related to Mr. S and his properties. He has the girls in one of his holdings. We just have to figure out which one" Randy ordered as he moved toward the door. "Ted and I will watch the door."

"Well that sounds simple enough. . ." Cody mused as he managed to find the coven's database. "Now then, it's time to see what kind of properties that Mr. S owns. . . I bet you there's at least one castle under his name."

"That would be stereotypical, don't you think?" Ted whispered as Cody pulled up the list that listed all the properties held by the Romanian coven's members.

"It would be, but damn is it easy to picture. . ." Cody mumbled as he scrolled down to the section that listed all the members whose last names started with S. "Alright, I found Mr. S' name. Looks like he owns quite a few properties in the country."

"How many are we talking about here?" Randy asked, keeping one ear to the door while the other was tuned in to what his team had to say.

"Well, he has plenty. . . Mr. S has established himself quite the real estate portfolio just in Romania alone," Cody mumbled as he looked through the list. "Mr. S would want to keep Amanda and the girls close, and considering the location of the coven meeting, he would keep them in one of his Bucharest properties . . . He has three."

"He has a chateau just outside of the city limits, a large villa in one of the more ritzier suburbs of the city, and a penthouse apartment in the downtown area close to the coven HQ," Cody announced as he quickly wrote down the addresses for each. "Should I look up directions?"

"No time. . . I can hear voices just up the hall," Ted announced. "There's two of them, and they stopped walking for now, but it sounds like they're heading this way."

"Cody, you done?" Randy asked as the mustached vampire continued writing.

"I have to get this last address down first!" The mustached vampire grumbled as he quickly scribbled the words down. "Got it! Just need to log off now!"

"Wait! What about our scents?" Ted asked, already halfway through the window. "The bracelets may hide every sound we make, but they certainly don't hide our smells!"

"We don't have enough time to do a thorough scent masking Ted. We just have to book it and leave them in our dust," Randy growled as he walked over to the window. "Cody?!"

"Coming!" He whispered, making sure that everything was properly shut down before leaving the desk. He quickly joined Ted outside, leaving Randy to cover the rear.

"Let's get moving!" The Viper ordered as he joined the rest of his team by the fence, just as the sounds of tense Romanian voices reached his ears. "Over the fence! NOW!"

The three managed to get over the fence before any of the Romanians even had the chance to look out the window. With their sound muffling bracelets still active, the vampires quickly made their way back to where they left John and the SUV, finding him at the wheel with the engine already running.

"Well that was quick. . ." John mumbled as he spotted the three running up through the side window. ". . . Maybe leaving me here was the best option."

"Get to driving John!" Randy ordered as the vampires piled into the car. John didn't need any more prompting, putting the car in drive before Ted and Cody could even get properly seated.

"Did you guys get caught?!" John asked as he snuck a look at the tense expressions on his friends faces.

"Almost; we managed to get out of dodge before the guards could spot us," Cody breathed as he leaned back against his seat. "However, we weren't able to hide our scents in time."

"Damn, that's not good," John mumbled as he kept his foot on the gas. "I know you wanted the trip to the outpost to be an in and out affair, but the scents are enough to warrant Mr. S' attention. . . He won't know that it's us immediately."

"But he'll know that intruders are in the country and likely accessed the coven's database," Randy concluded. ". . . We need to work quickly."

"First things first, we need internet access," Cody mumbled as he looked over the addresses he wrote down. "A quick Google search should give us the directions we need."

"Well, we still have quite the drive to get through. . . If we're lucky, they're may be a service station with internet access that we could try," John mused as he spotted a sign that directed them to the highway. ". . . Maybe an internet cafe?"

"We can focus on that the closer we get to Bucharest," Randy mumbled as he looked at his side mirror for any signs of vampires on their tails. . . There was none. "For now, we need to focus on putting some distance between us and the outpost."

T ~ S ~ O ~ J

The clock had just struck 10 when Mr. S' driver pulled up to the gate of his large villa in the Băneasa section of northern Bucharest, a neighborhood that was growing in popularity for its large, refurbished homes and parkland. He had bought it as a shrewd investment at the time, which ended up working in his favor once more and more of the Romanian upper class moved into the area.

As the gate slowly rolled open and his driver proceeded to drive the car up his bush-lined driveway, Mr. S couldn't help but think about some of the good memories from his past, particularly his departed sister Agata, who he was very close to growing up.

"We were thick as thieves growing up little Gata," He thought as the car pulled to a stop just before the staircase. "If only you were here with us now . . ."

Nodding to his driver, Mr. S got out of the vehicle and got up the stairs two at a time, smirking at the guards that stood at attention at the front door.

"Anything to report tonight boys?" He asked as the one on his left opened the door for him.

"Not at the moment sir," said the guard on his left. "Mr. Punk left earlier to check in with the security outposts at the borders. He said he should return within a couple of hours."

"Hmm, good. . ." Mr. S mumbled before stepping into his home. He walked through his foyer, where he found a tall young woman with long silver hair waiting for him by the staircase. With her silver-rimmed glasses and dark blue pantsuit, she looked quite professional, but the conniving grin that she shot Mr. S alluded to her true colors. "Ah, Beatrix, I hope you've been having a good night."

"It will be even better once I take my leave for the night," She calmly stated as she led him to the stairs. "My best friend is throwing quite the party over in Tei, and I promised her that I would drop by before the night was over."

"And you plan to go to the party dressed in that?" Mr. S asked as he gestured to her clothes. "It would be such a tragedy if one of Romania's most infamous succubae entered one of the biggest parties of the year dressed like a frumpy secretary."

"I do not dress frumpy!" She chided him, looking mock outraged as they climbed the stairs. "All my clothes are designer!"

"Oh, I know. I believe my money is what paid for some of them after all," Mr. S mumbled as he tucked his hands in his pockets. "I hope it was a good investment. . ."

"Oh, trust me, it was," She says, laying the sweetness on thick as they reached the second floor. "But my late-night plans and clothes are not what you want to talk about right now correct. . ? You want to know the status of the girls, correct?"

"That was the original intention, yes," Mr. S conceded, happy to get some info. "Were there any problems with the transport over from the chateau?"

"None to report. . . Richard and Llewellyn have taken the lightning elemental out to hunt. They should be back any minute now. The other blonde is downstairs locked away in the underground pool, and as for that psychic beauty of yours," Beatrix explained as she led him down the hallway, stopping at the last door on the right. ". . . Well, why don't you see for yourself?"

Mr. S shot her a knowing look before opening the door and stepping inside, a smirk already planted on his face as he looked at the two women that were seated on the bed. Valentina sat right behind Amanda, keeping her fingers pressed against both sides of the model's temples as her eyes remained closed. As for the model herself, her eyes were only half open, almost in a trance like state as she stared off into nowhere.

"I don't know where you found her Szymon, but she smells absolutely delicious!" Beatrix mumbled. "The power just radiates off her in waves. Probably your best catch in months."

"She does carry a lot of promise," Mr. S mused as he slowly walked over to the bed. "How much longer now Valentina?"

"Not long now. . . The little entity in her mind has been a lot more stubborn than I give her credit for," The woman mumbled as she slowly opened her eyes. "Her reeducation should be complete by, at best, tonight . . . I wish I could finish this sooner, but this is not something that we can risk so easily."

"I understand. . . After all, she has been our most successful subject since this project began. We can't risk things just because we're impatient," Mr. S concluded, patting Valentina on the shoulder. "When you're done, get some rest Valentina. You can continue in the morning."

"Yes sir!" She said, nodding her head as Mr. S and Beatrix left the room, the latter closing the door behind them.

"Everything is going to plan," Mr. S chuckled as he leaned against the wall. "Of course, Orton and his team remain a complication, but they will soon be dealt with."

"I'm sure Punk will ensure it," Beatrix mused as she looked at him with a grin before turning back to the door. "I hope your girl there doesn't have too many people waiting for her back home. . ."

"Aside from the two friends that got dragged into my schemes, only her mother and sister are alive and they surprisingly don't talk with each other as often as you think they should," Mr. S mumbled, going over the bio info that his intelligence team had gathered on Amanda. when he looked at Beatrix, his eyes narrowed at the perplexed look she was giving him. "What is it?"

"Is that everyone though?" The woman asked, and Mr. S nodded, not knowing how to answer back. "Huh, I think you need to consult with the intelligence team again. . . Amanda is someone's mate."

"Mate?! As in a vampire's mate?!" Mr. S growled, not liking what he was hearing. Beatrix was gifted with the ability to sense relationships, specializing in the romantic kind. With her words and steady heartbeat, Mr. S knew that the woman was telling the truth. "How could the team have missed such an important detail?"

"Maybe she met her mate while being chased around by your men?" Beatrix mused as she started walking away, missing the sudden look of realization that crossed her employer's face. "Anyway, I have a party to get to . . . Have a good night sir!"

"Yeah . . . Good night Beatrix!" Mr. S called out to her, watching her leave before moving himself, heading for his office. With her last words continuing to run through his head, Mr. S had a lot to think about as he left to continue the night in solitude.

A/N: Please review!