(Author's Note: Yayyyy Updates! I am now on Chapter 8! I'm an octo-chapterian? Yeah, I don't get that either…damn my Dr. Seuss inspired word making up-ness! Any way, now that I don't have school, expect lots more chapters. Basically all I'm gonna be doing is summer school, working out, chores, and fanfiction. Until July 3rd that is, when I'll be going to central Wisconsin to work at my summer camp! Yay! Runs off singing Napowan rouser.)
Order 7: The Siren's Song
"Where is that little punk? He was supposed to meet us here fifteen minutes ago!" complained one of the soldiers to Pip. "You know him, where would he be at 11:15 at night?"
Pip replied "I don't really know. Marcus usually makes a point of being punctual…well, I know that Sir Hellsing would be pissed off if we left without him, so we had better start looking for him," Pip suddenly took on a commanding attitude. "You three, check the theater, you three check by the mall, Seras, you check by Buckingham Palace, and I'll go check the Red Light District. All right men, lets move out!"
"Captain Peregrine Bernadette how could you possibly be thinking about sex when Marcus could be out there in God knows how much trouble!" yelled Seras.
"Now just one minute Seras. I'm just trying to think like any fifteen year old boy would. Plus, I have several friends who might have seen him in the area, so don't act all high and mighty when one of my men is missing!" answered Pip with no amount of humor in his voice. "You have your orders, now move out!"
Marcus Banks woke up to find he was not on the park bench that he thought he would be on. He was also keenly aware that Gloria was no where in sight and that he had only his boxers and pants on. But this was all cast aside in his mind when his eyes came into focus and he realized that he was tied up and gagged in a spartanly furnished apartment.
Panic seized him now as he realized that he had been tricked into coming here. He tried to stand, but fell flat on his face. Turning around, he saw that his feet were also bound. Crawling across the bare wood floor, he got on his knees and looked out of a window on the outside wall. All that he saw was the brick of the next building over. It was mid-morning now, and he could hear the traffic through the pane of glass.
He also started to hear footsteps outside of the door. The door opened to reveal a big man with no hair and too many tattoos carrying a brief case.
"I see you're awake, eh? That's fine. Just make sure you don't get any stupid ideas like trying to get out. My boys are in the lobby downstairs and won't lose sleep over shooting a little brat like you," he said with a sneer. Walking over he sat down on a poorly made chair and opened his shabby briefcase. From inside he pulled out a pistol and aimed it at Marcus's head.
"Now you are just going to stay put while I make some phone calls. Don't worry though, I'm not going to shoot to kill…heheheh," he said with no shortage of menace. All Marcus could do was sit down on the hard floor.
How long have I been here? Where are Pip and Seras? he thought. And Gloria? I should have left when I could, not stayed there and make out with her 'till I fell asleep…how could I have been so stupid! Now Sir Integra will be furious with me, if I ever see her again…
Marcus looked back at his kidnapper. He was lighting up a cigarette while the cell phone rested against his shoulder. Whoever was on the other end must have picked up, because the man started talking.
"Yeah, it's Don. I got the kid. No. No, I didn't hurt him, he's alive and well for the time being. Yes…yes, I'm sorry I doubted you. That little bitch can sing like and angel. Yeah, he fell for it alright, hook, line, and sinker. Can't say I blame him though…yes I made sure to get her in her coffin! Do you think I'm- yes sir," his tone suddenly became very nervous and it was apparent that he said something he shouldn't have. Whoever was on the other line had Don in a place far below them. "Yes I know that you are my boss and I shouldn't raise my voice to you. I'm sorry sir. I'll have him at the docks by six o'clock. See ya' then."
With that, he hung up the phone and pulled a hamburger out of his case. Carrying the gun in his other hand, Don walked over and took off Marcus's gag.
"Eat kid and don't even think of biting my fingers," Don ordered while aiming his pistol at Marcus's head. Marcus ate gratefully, now just trying to not piss of the large man with the gun pointed at his temple.
When he was done he asked "Why have you taken me?" in a nervous voice.
Don grinned. "It seems that you are wanted by some employers of mine. I don't know what for, but they seemed very adamant that I was to get you at all costs. They even sent me Gloria to make sure I did it right. Now don't ask any more questions. I was told not to tell you anything." He put the gag back on and walked into the bathroom.
Someone, anyone! Please help me! Please!
Sir Integra was furious. After yelling at the men and Seras for letting him get kidnapped, she gave them all guard duty for the next month. Seras was now in her coffin sleeping, but the search still went on. Walter phoned the police, who said that they would begin a search. Pip called in all his contacts and told them to keep a weather eye out for a fifteen year old kid name Marcus. The mercenary then ordered his men to take to the streets.
"Not once, in five long years, have the Wild Geese left a man behind. We are looking for our newest friend, Marcus Banks, age fifteen. Fan out into the city and check every restaurant, every theater, every mall, and every alleyway until you find him. If anyone sees him, radio into H.Q. and bring him in. Now let's get into the cars and get on it!" Pip ordered. Sir Integra stood with Walter on the other side of the main hall and watched.
"He is doing an excellent job of leading the troops. They all really do like and respect him almost as much as they respect and fear you, Sir Integra," Walter remarked.
"Where do you think he is Walter? I want your professional opinion on this," said Sir Integra.
"I have come to the conclusion that this is either a kidnapping or a case of teen grief. If he was kidnapped, we should expect a call with a ransom demand around noon. But if this is a case of Marcus's sorrow over losing his parents clouding his reason, I don't know when he will be back…" the butler was quiet for some time.
Walter looked at Sir Integra and spoke in a quiet voice. "There is another reason for him not returning to us…think about it. Someone could know abou-
"No. That's impossible," She interrupted, her voice stern. "The only ones who know about him are you, Captain Bernadette, and myself, though I suppose Alucard has figured it out by now... Walter, I want you to take care of this. Find him, and bring him back to the mansion at all costs."
"Yes Sir Integra."
Don had left the apartment again. Marcus had given up trying to get anyone's attention by banging on the door. He was now seated on the couch, completely alone.
The hours dragged on. Left with no training, no guard duty, no mission, and no research to distract him, he felt his mind wander. He had really enjoyed himself last night, though now all he felt was frustration and embarrassment. Damn it all. Why did Don's employers want him? He had no answer to that. He thought of Gloria. Had last night been only about getting him to come with her to this place or did she like him? Where the Hell was she now? What had Don meant when he said…oh Hell and damnation she is a vampire!
Marcus doubled over as tears ran down his face. He had made love with a vampire. A freaking member of the undead! Sobbing, he fell to the floor, not even caring where he was. How could he ever be trusted again by Hellsing? How would he be able to face Sir Integra again after she had been kind enough to take him in and give him food and shelter? Now he was defiled, tainted. A sudden thought gripped him. A horrible, mind twisting thought.
Crawling as fast as he could, he went into the bathroom and somehow stood up to face the mirror. Oh thank God! No bite marks…he thought. At least he was not one of them now. He was still human. But for how long?
Marcus had fallen asleep on the couch, mentally exhausted. Evening was falling now, and from the bedroom a low creak came, as if an old door was being opened. Gloria got out of her coffin naked and went to the bathroom, splashing some water on her face. Grabbing a towel from the counter, she dried off her face and chest as the water trickled down her bust. She picked out two blue colored contacts that had fallen out of her eyes with the water. Last night she had hypnotized Marcus and gotten him to come here. She had spent most of the morning crying in shame. Crying tears of blood.
Walking out of the bathroom, Gloria saw Marcus asleep on the couch, bound and gagged like the prisoner he was. A sad look crossed her face. She walked over to him and sat down on the couch next to him, rubbing his back with her slender hands. She hated what she was doing, how she had to work for Don and the others. They had to force feed her blood for a week before she gave up and eventually became a master vampire.
A whole lot of good that did me. Now here I am, monster working for humans against my will. They kept her there because they had what she needed: a constant supply of human blood. Without them, she would either starve or get caught and killed by the Hellsing Organization. Her master had told her about them, and the monster they kept hidden, this "Alucard".
Glancing down at Marcus, she saw that Don had been a little too tight with the bonds and now the handcuffs were digging into Marcus's flesh, a tiny trickle of blood running down his wrist. She gasped and stood up, backing away from him even as her very nature told her to drink his blood. Breathing hard she, tripped over a chair and sat their on her butt, too afraid to go forward, too thirsty to go back. All she had had for the last few weeks was blood from Don's wrist, but she could smell Marcus's virgin blood (they hadn't gone that far…).
It called out to her with its metallic scent, so tempting, so red, so warm…No! I can't think like that! I am not a monster! I am not a monster! I am not a monster! But even as she thought that, she knew what she wanted.
Marcus stirred, awakened by her falling over the chair after hours of relative silence. Blinking, he sat up and saw her. At first he just sat there with no expression on his face. Then he seemed to register where he was and who she was. Marcus's eyes narrowed and his eyebrows lowered. He couldn't say a word, but his meaning was clear. With a sad sigh, Gloria got up and righted the chair. She then walked to the bed room, put on a robe and walked out to sit in the chair facing Marcus.
For a while she sat there as he glared daggers at her from the couch. Hanging her head in shame she started speaking in a small voice.
"I'm sorry Marcus. I didn't mean for you to get hurt. Don he…he forced me to do this to you. I know you probably don't believe me, but I am so, so, sorry…" She looked up at him to see that he had lost his glare. "I used to be a singer in the choir at my school in Liverpool. It was an all-girl's school. The other girls used to tease me, saying that I was too shy and quiet. I was never very popular. Then, after a recital in London, I was kidnapped. They didn't say what they wanted with me, they just told me to be quiet and not say a word. They brought me to a plane and we went to Brazil, where their boss was. They said…they said that they had killed all of the other girls and my teacher like he ordered them to. Their boss had also ordered them to bring me to him because he like the way I sang."
"I don't know his name, but he was short and fat. He was also a Nazi. I saw the swastika on his arm and on all the banners in the room. The other men left and he brought me into a room with a man in it. He said his name was Tubalcain Alhambra. He was black, with short grey hair and a white suit with a white hat. The boss told him to…he told him to bite me. That is how I became a vampire. I was kept in a small cell and forced to eat blood six months. It was torture." Gloria said.
She looked up at him and gave him a sad smile. "The only thing I could do to pass the time was sing. I sang every song I could think of. One day, while I was sleeping in there," she said pointing to the bedroom, "they brought me back here to London. They handed me over to Don, who kept me locked in the bedroom all night long. He would take me out during the day and beat me as the sun burned my skin. But he would always put me back in before I was toast," she hung her head and red tears rolled down her face into her crossed arms. "Sometimes, I wish he had left me to die there. Sometimes…I wished I had never been born at all. Now I'm a monster. I may as well be dead…"
Gloria broke down in sobs, covering her face with her hands. I am a monster. I'm a horrible, horrible monster! I drink blood! I seduced Marcus, a boy I hardly know! I do terrible things, and now Marcus might die because of me! She heard a small "thump" and heard Marcus walk on his knees over too her.
He rested his head on her shoulder, smelling her sweet scent. Threw her arms around him and cried into his chest. They sat there for a while, until Gloria looked into Marcus's eyes and smiled sincerely.
"Thank you," she said.
Footsteps approached the door, heavy ones that told them Don was coming back. With a sad look at Marcus, she stood up and went to open the door for him.
"Good, you're awake. Hope she didn't get a little thirsty, eh kid?" he said with a harsh laugh. He grabbed Marcus's chin with a rough hand and lifted his head up. Tilting his head from side to side, he seemed satisfied that he had not been changed. "Good, she didn't. This one never did like the taste of blood. Had to force her to take it from my own wrists."
Standing up, he turned to Gloria with a nasty look on his face. "Now, little missy, I need you to sing our good friend to sleep here with a little song of yours. Once he's asleep, we can take him out the back way to the docks where he and you will go back to those Millennium freaks and I'll get my money." Taking his pistol out of his jacket pocket and cocked the hammer back. With a sneer, he stuffed ear plugs into his ears and aimed the gun at Gloria's head. "Now sing, girly."
She looked at him with a frightened glance and started to sing. He couldn't hear what she was saying (or else he would get knocked out to), but sure enough, the boy's eye's started to droop, and he fell over sideways on the couch. Don walked over, motioning for her to keep going, and felt his breathing. It was steady and even, so he told Gloria to stop singing. After picking out the ear plugs, he tossed them on the floor.
"Never did like those things in my head. Alright, open the door so I can carry him out," he said. She walked over and opened the door while he picked up the boy's unconscious body. They walked over to his car which was parked around back. He laid the boy in back seat and after buckling him in so he wouldn't wake up, told Gloria to get in as well. They drove out of the alleyway and through the neighborhood, almost hitting an old man as they rounded a corner.
"Hey watch where you're going asshole!" yelled Don as they drove on by in the direction of the London docks.
"I have visual confirmation of the target, Sir Integra. He is in the back seat of a bronze Dodge Intrepid, apparently unconscious," said Walter in a steady voice, smiling. He had his mouth pointed at his wrist, where a small two-way transmitter was held. "The vehicle is driven by a white, male, approximately six four with many tattoos on his arms and shoulders. He is accompanied by young girl, approximately five ten, with blond hair and red eyes. They have driven off in the direction of the docks. Permission to proceed with caution?"
"Permission granted Walter, but be careful. We don't know who these people are or what they plan to do with them. Stop them and bring them all back, alive if possible. I will send backup once I get in contact with Captain Bernadette's men."
"Affirmative. I will take a shorter route through the city so I can get there before them."
"God speed and good luck."
(Author's Note: Sorry Kitsunia, but I have to end with another cliffhanger. The chapter is getting quite long, so I will sign off here. Before I go, I would like to point out that I have no idea how to use the metric system practically without a meter stick, so I had Walter say Don's height in the standard system. I really hate that stupid thing. It is further proof that America is to belligerent for its own good. Can't wait to graduate from college so I can move to Japan. Eyes start to sparkle as Z looks into the distance dreamily, Hallelujah chorus starts playing in the background. Oh my God it's beautiful! Anime and Video Game Mecca! So close but so far away! On a side note, on the odd chance that anyone reading this goes to Barrington High School in Illinois, I will be starting an anime club next year!!! Wish me luck! And thank you oblivionknight7 for joining my small group of reviewers…which sadly includes me…)