Freedom Chapter 17

By J.L. Pitard

Standard disclaimer: All characters belong to Kohta Hirano and his publishers. I have no stake in them...

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Alucard looked down at Integra's sleeping form, her scream still ringing in his mind. He took off one white glove and stroked her dusky face, a possessive feeling coming over him. Her skin was warm and clammy to his touch, but for once he didn't mind. Using one razor sharp fingernail, he cut through the binding around her wrist. Flipping away the covers he noted sadly how frail she looked in the hospital's green gown. Silently, he moved around the bed, freeing her. She looked unhurt, but was in a narcotic slumber. He could pierce the veil, but she was so far gone, it would do no good. He picked her up easily. Should work its way out of her system in an hour, he consoled himself.

Too late, he felt Katerina approach. There was nowhere to go. Flee? Integra was dead weight. He couldn't transform with her, a living being. It was awkward. He placed her back on the bed and rested his hands on his guns.

"It was a beautiful sight, no?" Katerina said from the doorway. "A strong woman, so helpless." There were two vampires with her, but not her servant, Michael.

Alucard shrugged, moving his hands back out in the open.

"You couldn't ignore your master's call?" Part rebuke, part question.

"You heard her, how could I?" Katerina nodded, apparently satisfied. As he expected, she'd implanted a link into Integra's mind, as she'd done to Seras. Neither woman could stand up to a vampire of her mental strength. Would she have done that if she meant to kill Integra quickly?

The vampires brought up a gurney. Katerina moved next to Alucard as Integra was lifted onto it like a little girl. She watched them with a smile on her face. Alucard did not try to hide his distaste at their handling of Integra. Katerina took his bare hand and kissed it. "Soon you will be free," she cooed. He gave her a wry smile and quickly replaced his glove.

"For creatures like us, soon can be a very long time," he responded.

"There are...precautions we must take," he had a very clear idea of what she meant. Over the hundred years he had been captive to the Hellsings, he had made a point to understand and research the magics used to bind him. He had also made a point to test the boundaries of the seals.

"Why this," he gestured at the room.

"They were well compensated to store her and keep her quiet during the day for us." She nodded at her lesser vampires and they began to leave.

She floated after them. Alucard knew he had to follow, but he'd do so on his own. He rubbed his hand to erase the memory of her lips on him.

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"Try. Please, Miss Victoria." Walter was tired, but back to being polite, for the most part.

Seras concentrated and send out a mental request for Alucard. He heard her, but did not respond right away. He used their connection to survey the scene through her eyes. He could see Walter, looking older, if that was possible, and the command room. Several soldiers were calling in their locations. Interesting, thought Alucard.

"No response, Walter, but I feel like, um, there's a link with him, sort of." She looked down. It sounds crazy even when Master talks about it, but truly stupid when I do.

Trust me. She gasped at the unexpected communication. Seras nodded.

Walter studied her for a moment, then turned to the communications system. He had a soldier in to help with that, at least. "Anything?"

The man shrugged.

Walter turned away in a fury. He'd never lost the director of Hellsing before. She could be anywhere or she could be dead. Alucard's gone rogue and Seras was being useless. Bloody Hell. Then it came to him.

"Ask him if she's dead. Has he or his friends killed..." he choked off.

"Pardon? Oh." Alucard sent her a feeling of reassurance and told her that Integra lived. He didn't think they needed to come along, but he sent an image of the seaside town anyway. That should keep them busy for a few minutes while they worked it out and mobilized. At least if Police Girl was true to form.

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Seras poured over the book A Photographic Journey Through Kent. Walter watched her. Useful, yet useless, he thought. Not like Integra. She'd get though this just because she had to. How they would dispose of Alucard afterward remained to be seen. This was far worse than the incident that had gotten Alucard locked away as long as her father lived. Would Integra need him to retake the mantel of Trashman? He wasn't as young as he once was.

"Excuse me, sir?" The young soldier asked.

"Mmmm?"

"There's no contact with Waltham, sir."

"Who? One of the guards?"

"Yes sir. We sent him out along the coast. Last we heard he was on the A28. I've tried to radio him along with the others, but no response."

Walter thought about that and pointed Seras to look in the area they last had contact. Then he turned to the soldier.

"What is your name?"

"Brown, sir."

"First name?"

"Douglas, sir."

"Mr. Brown, are you afraid of the vampires?"

The man took a furtive look towards Seras. She stopped her searching and looked back at him. Douglas looked away.

"No sir." He swallowed hard.

Walter was amused. "No?"

"I've fought beside them. They're tough, but I'm not afraid of them. Not really."

Seras looked back down at her book. Trying to look focused and fighting a small smile.

"Good enough. Tomorrow I'll transfer you to a new detail. You will answer to me and take care of the feeding and safety of Miss Victoria." Both heads snapped up and looked at Walter. "I'm sick of hauling blood bags to pernicious vampires. I need a break."

Seras almost laughed. She wondered if Walter knew that one of Alucard's nicknames for humans was 'blood bags', but the look on Walter's face was so unusually unpleasant. She decided that the fight that almost started a few weeks ago would occur tonight if the two of them met. She would really miss Walter.

He looked at her. "What?" His voice was almost choking with anger.

"Margate!" She shouted. "I've found them!"

Brown turned back to his equipment and began the orders to mobilize the transports. The helicopter was standing by.