Chapter 8
Thanks for the reviews, LondonVixen and Shadowshaveoffended.
I like a little humor in stories.
I also love when reviews say 'great chapter' or phrases along that line.
Just so you know my level of devotion, I am writing this chapter on the road. As a passenger, as I go along to drop my older brother of at college in Florida. I live in Atlanta, Georgia.
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Orithian made his way back to his quarters and put some fresh clothes on before going to the vampires. Cleaned up, then he went to the armory. There was a small group of men there. A weapons designer rushed over to him. "Orithian! I've got a new weapon for you!" Orithian batted him away.
"I'm perfectly content with my magnum," Orithian said. The weapons expert, Grimes, would not be so easily dissuaded.
"This is better. Just as large a bullet, magazine-fed, unlike your ancient .357, has semi-auto, two shot burst, and full auto." He held up a large black handgun. It looked like a hybrid between the berretta 92fs and the desert eagle. The muzzle had a fierce look, as it looked like a inverted v at the end. Orithian looked at it, and slid the magazine out. It held 25 rounds, and it was loaded alternating tracers and silver nitrate. Orithian shrugged as he put it in his belt. Grimes smiled.
"I'll hold onto it." Orithian said. He directed his attention to the five or so men at the range. "All right. I need two volunteers for a mission!" All of them walked over. Orithian glanced them over. "You, and you, come with me," he said, pointing at the to most intimidating of them. He started walking away, and they followed, after picking up small weapons at the counter. one, a micro-uzi (a sub-machine gun the size of a pistol) and the other a mp7(a personnel defense ? sub-machine gun). He knew them men's names. Eversmen, and Steel.
"What exactly did we volunteer for?" Steel asked. Orithian didn't look back as he made his way to the garage, ignoring the bloody stains and wrecked furniture on the office level. He was thankful the bodies had been removed, all six of them. He selected his favorite, the impressive hummer.
"We," he said as he slid into the drivers seat, "are going to the vampires' mansion, and asking for assistance in getting our men back from the lycans." Steel and Eversman exchanged dubious looks.
"How do you know they won't try to turn us?" Eversman asked. Orithian drove down the road, which would still be dark for a couple hours. Orithian moved his boot slightly. The knife holster was uncomfortable suddenly.
"We do not know," Orithian said. "That's why I asked for volunteers, and got two that looked combat-able." He drove on in silence. The combat-able amount of men they had was roughly at 15 with the wounded and casualties.
No one spoke as he pulled in front of the vampires' mansion. Orithian stopped in front of the gate and looked around. There was no apparent handle or door to slip into the place. He noticed a glowing screen cleverly placed on the side of a pillar. He got out and went over to it. He pressed a small red button and heard a ringing noise. There was a response.
"What do you want?" A voice demanded crankily.
"I wish to speak with whoever is in charge here," Orithian said. A face appeared onscreen and stared at him.
"You cannot come in." the doorman said over the intercom. Orithian smiled.
"Now was it who was in charge here? Viktor, Markus, Amelia, or is it plain Dracula?" Orithian asked with a smirk. The face on the screen didn't get fazed. Orithian glanced at his watch. "Look, I already know this place is inhabited by vampires. Is Selene there? I'll get farther talking with her." The person on screen moved away, evidently talking to someone. Selene suddenly appeared on the small screen.
"You! What do you want?" She demanded. Orithian raised his eyebrows.
"How nice to see you again as well. I want to talk with whoever is in charge." Orithian said for the second or third time.
"Why?" Selene asked. Orithian sighed.
"The lycans raided us. They apparently were after Michael, but they also killed about thirteen of our men, and captured eight, not counting Michael. We know where they are, but we don't have the forces to go get them." Orithian said.
"Where who are?" Selene asked.
"The lycan den where my men are," Orithian said. "We know where the lycans are but don't have enough fighters to go get them. If the death dealers helped us, we could rescue our men, and you fellows get to kill more lycans." The gates suddenly swung open.
"Come in." Selene said.
"Thank you." Orithian said, then got back into the car. He looked at Steel and Eversman. "This might work." He pulled up in front of the mansion, and they got out, walking in perfect formation, Orithian leading and both others flanking him. He pushed the wide doors open, and stepped into the vampires fortress. Then he immediately wondered whether all martini-drinking crowd sitting at tables in the entryway were vampires or lazy European bureaucrats. All eyes suddenly turned toward Orithian, Steel, and Eversman. Orithian looked back fearlessly. Orithian could hear whispers.
Selene and a small group of vampires approached. Orithian recognized the vampire he had tailed, Kraven, whispering furiously into Selene's ear. She ignored him and focussed her attention on Orithian.
"Why did you come here, human?" Kraven demanded
"We have a lycan problem. Thought the vampires just might be the right people to ask for assistance," Orithian said. "I wish to speak with whoever is in charge."
"That would be Viktor," Selene said quickly. She looked defiantly at Kraven, as though daring him to contradict her.
"Then take us to him." Orithian said. Selene turned and walked out down a corridor of the dimly lit building. Vampires. Figures it would be dark in here, Orithian thought. He was thankful he had not worn a battle uniform, and that Steel and Eversman were dressed sharply. Selene glanced at a security mirror, and a set of doors opened. Selene, Kraven, and a black vampire Orithian didn't know walked in front of them into the cold room. Like the catacombs, Eversman was thinking. Lets hope we don't have to fight our way out of here, Steel thought. The three vampires in front of them suddenly bowed on one knee. Orithian debated momentarily for a moment, then did not follow suit. He wouldn't bow to Dracula himself.
"My lord," Selene said respectfully. "These three humans wish to speak with you."
There was a slight coughing noise in the darkness, and a shape moved forward. So that is Viktor. Orithian thought. He looked like an unwrapped mummy. Orithian knew from studies that vampires could hibernate for centuries, but needed to be revived with blood. Viktor was hooked up to multiple iv's.
"Leave us," Viktor said. Selene gave Orithian a glance, then left the room, along with Kraven and the other vampire.
"Well?" Viktor asked crankily. "Who are you and why are you here?" Orithian responded tactfully.
"Sir. My name is Orithian, and I am a member of Parabellum," Orithian said. He continued. "We, Parabellum, are a group of people who have known for roughly 80 years about the existence of vampires and lycans. Our goal is to contain your conflict with the lycans, and keep civilians safe."
"How do humans know of our existence?" Viktor asked, his voice rising. "That cannot be!"
"The men who started our organization were several fragment groups of vampire and werewolves watchers, as well as some law enforcement who discovered your kind from the cults," Orithian said calmly. "But to get back on track. Recently there was a shootout at a subway between death dealers and lycans."
Viktor nodded. "How did you know?"
"I was there, sir. We realized the lycans were after Michael Corvin, so we went to take him in for protection."
"And you saw Selene there." Viktor said. Orithian realized Selene have must have told him quite a bit. Steel and Eversman were standing perfectly still.
"And who are your men?" Viktor asked.
"Eversman, sir," Eversman said.
"My name is Steel." Steel replied with an air of confidence.
(I stopped and my dad, brother, and I got burgers and shakes at this point.)
Orithian spoke. "These lycans, they attacked our base! We believe they were after Michael Corvin."
"Were they?" Viktor asked. Orithian felt Viktor knew plenty more about Michael than he let on.
"If they were, they succeeded, also in capturing eight of our men. That is why we came. Our fighting force was small, about thirty-five men, but a large number of us were killed or wounded by nearly two dozen lycans. So we came to ask the vampires for help." Orithian said.
Viktor didn't look like he was taking this seriously.
"No, really," Orithian said. "We know their exact locations. We have implanted subdermals, tracking devices, under the skin of all our workers. We know were the are, but we need the death dealers to help us go in and get them."
"What, vampires ally with humans to fight lycans?" Viktor asked in his strange voice.
"Precisely." Orithian said. "That's what I was sent to ask. I'm asking you for help against the lycans."
"Humans would be no help against lycans," Viktor said.
"Maybe most humans," Steel said suddenly. "But we can fight lycans."
"All creatures have weaknesses," Eversman said. "We find that weakness and expliot it."
"The team we would send with the death dealers would be our combat team," Orithian said. "We know what we are doing. Thermal scanning shows that roughly forty lycans are scattered around the target building and the underground passageways nearby. Together, we can do it."
Viktor was silent. Suddenly the large doors into the crypt swung open.
"My lord," the black vampire said, in a English accent, leading a team of death dealers. "The council members have… been murdered."
Viktor looked horrified. "What of Amelia?"
The other vampire did not look happy. "The bled her dry, my lord." Viktor turned to Orithian and his two men.
"Very well, we will fight them together. How soon will your combat team be ready?" Orithian thought for a second. "We can be deployed in half an hour."
"Were is Selene?" Viktor asked the vampires. She walked forward. He spoke gently.
"Forgive me for not trusting you, my child. Kraven will indeed pay with his life. These humans know where the lycans our. Plan the attack with them. You will lead our death dealers." Viktor said. Orithian noted how softly he spoke to her. Selene nodded.
"Come on," she said to Orithian. She led the three humans down into an elegant room filled with maps.
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Okay, this chapter is done. The battery on my laptop is going dry. I'll recharge is at the hotel. This next chapter should be fun.
Please review. If you don't like it, say so and I'll make it better. Your silence (no reviews) makes me worry.