Rip has no accent in zis story, i know. But she speaks too much in here to vrite all her lines vith svitched letters. Only the Major and Dok vill speak zis vay.
Alucard definitely was waiting for me to do something. He just couldn't take so long to regenerate. But what was he waiting for? False step from me? I had no weapon, his guns where closer to him than to me and he just needed to take human shape to return invincible. So what the hell was he waiting for? I stared at his pool from the place where i was sitting.
Rip, sitting beside me, yawned. She seamed quite sleepy, but after all, she had been awake for two days more or less. It's a long amount even for a Midian. Speaking of which, how long ago did i leave my coffin? Too long. I felt the strong temptation of close my eyes and let myself down, but there was something more important to do. I just needed to wait for she to fall asleep.
Possibly remaining awake.
It is true that vampire's sleep is so light that it's enough for a mortal to gaze at us to awaken, but it's also true that a vampire can't just decide when to wake up. If i didn't remain conscious, probably i wouldn't have woken before it was too late.
I waited, trying all the mantra i knew to keep me focused. Meanwhile, Rip was slowly falling into sleep, with a smile. Sweet dreams. If only that didn't make me even more sleepy...
She muttered, then rested her head on my shoulder. She seemed weightless. I heard her soft heartbeat... for an instant i thought i was hearing her breathing. No, that was impossible...
Now, how the hell am i supposed to go away? I thought. Meanwhile my mind formulated a few other thoughts, like
So sweet...
or
Maybe i'm dreaming already.
After i don't know how long, too much anyway, i found enough will power to rise up. I carefully removed her glasses and lifted her head in my hands, softly leaning it in the ground. She seemed to advert nothing. I caressed her hair and looked at her to make sure she was all right, then i ran as silently as i could on the lower deck.
My idea was, it's impossible such a ship doesn't have a emergency radio somewhere. They just couldn't allow to any dragon who burnt the control room to take out all the contacts of the aircraft carrier with the world. Ok, maybe they weren't attacked by dragons every day, but they surely were prepared. So theoretically there had to be a second radio implant somewhere. I just had to find it.
Now, if i had to build an aircraft carrier, what would i fear as main danger?
Other warships, bombings, sabotage.
The last is the one. Sure, there are bigger ships than this one, but the last thing they'd do is to cut its radios. Planes can be stroked by the ant-air artillery. The most dangerous thing is a spy on the ship.
So, if i needed to place something hidden to a spy, where would i hide it?
Far from the other station. In a area which doesn't risk to be flooded. Behind a reinforced door.
I searched the intermediate decks for a while, before finding what i was looking for. A dead sailor was sitting there, he had been turned into a ghouland then decapitated. Millennium's work, to be sure. I threw the corpse away and looked for a log with the codes. It took half an hour o work out how to communicate on Hellsing's channels.
"If anyone is hearing me, i call from the "Adler" warship and i need to warn the Hellsing Organization that a raid from Millennium. We must return to England before disaster strikes!!"
The line remained clear for a while, only statics cold be heard. Then a familiar voice answered.
"Captain Bernadotte here, repeat the message."
"London is going to be attacked by surprise, while i and Alucard are away!"
The reception was terribly disturbed, i hoped they heard it. Unfortunately, last time i operated a radio was during World War II so wasn't precisely an expert.
"Integra Hellsing here. Walter says the frequency you should use is 1123.54 and the code for Hellsing preferential channel is 133.
I inserted the data in the device and the communication cleared.
"Good. Now, why did you end the call so abruptly?"
"I've had an... accident. Unfortunately, you see, the phone was..."
"You broke my cell phone?! Have you got the slightest idea of how much did it cost?!"
"No. anyway, as i've said..."
"I've heard. We will strengthen defences on the city. Nothing and no one can defeat the Hellsing organization."
"Speaking of which, when are you going to take us back?"
"Never. You'll find a way back on your own. We can't waste our men to save you."
"Please..."
"Never. Go and secure the ship. Dismissed."
"Good. We are fucked."
As i turned around, i saw a dark figure taking shape. Alucard.
"The thought that i might have had something to say didn't even cross your mind, did it?"
"You've been playing the scary blood pool all night, if you had anything to say you could've appeared before. Anyway, the radio is still on. Just call them again."
"I will. And i've got a tip for you..."
"Yeah?"
"Don't mess with things greater than you. Return to your nice vampire girl, and don't ever call Integra in my absence."
"Aren't you a bit protective about her? I mean, she just let yourself be shot without a word. I nearly thought she'd have ordered you to kill me."
"Shut that mouth up before something unpleasant slithers out of it. You don't know her half than i do."
"The more i learn about you two, the more i think it's a good thing."
He grinned evilly.
"And she's not my girl." i said, exiting.
I didn't trust Alucard advice, so i did precisely what he said- returned up to Rip. If she saw me in the lower decks she'd have probably guessed i had communicated with the organization, and the later she discovered that, the better.
Or at least i told myself it was because of this.
She was still asleep. I calculated that if we left England with the plane at midnight, we had a hour or two of dark before sunrise. Enough to take a nap, than i'd have found myself a place to rest inside... maybe the millennium soldiers had coffins on the ship...
I considered looking for a place inside right now, but i wanted to keep an eye on Rip. On the other hand, her presence made me uncomfortable. I mean, she was just there, sleeping on the hard deck on the aircraft carrier, her eyes closed, her mouth still smiling, her hair uncombed yet ordered... i mean, she was the extreme perfection of sweetness and calm. By looking at her, you could've said she was merely a tired girl... but i knew goddamn well she was the same vampire who i saved from Alucard and who fought with me against him, the same who shot me, twice...
I felt kinda uneasy. There was more to her than i could've guessed at first glance... but after all, i am still the champion of unexpectedness, and Alexander Anderson could confirm this...
But let this be a story for some other time. For now, i was there, close to Rip, trying to sleep, and succeeding for once. I just shut down my mind and let myself go. Sweet dreams to myself.
They weren't sweet dreams at all. Integra ordered me to kill Alucard. I tried to shoot him, but i was unable to even scratch him, and he kept laughing to me.
"I have an advice for you" he said.
"Yeah?"
"Don't try things that are beyond you. What hopes do you think you have with her?"
"She's not my girl!"
He started laughing again. Then everything is a blur, i remember only something about Integra judging me about her book and condemning me to be eternally trapped in a cage of red lines... then i felt the hateful sensation of sun on my skin. I opened my eyes.
One good thing in England is the weather. Having spent the last few months in Italy, the rainy climate of Great Britain was a total improvement. Even now that the sky was clear, sunshine was almost supportable. Light was anyway nearly blinding, it took a few seconds to slid the world into focus.
Rip was standing just before me, shielding with her parasol. She had taken off her jacket and, to my great pleasure, the swastika. Flipped or not, it made me feel uneasy if she wore it.
At first, she didn't notice me, she was busy thinking to something and staring at the sky. Then she turned to me and blushed.
"Ah... you're awake... i wanted to tell you... well... thanks. I mean, for yesterday. For having saved me."
"You... don't need to. I saved your life, you saved mine. We did it... together."
When you are speaking and words come out with big spaces between because you're embarrassed is terribly fastidious, but when the person you're speaking with is doing the same it's just too much. The best thing is to pull yourself together and change subject, but you never do the right thing in these occasions.
"So... i was waiting for you to wake... we need to find a radio."
"Why? What do you... who do you want to call?"
"Millennium! So they can take us... back! I mean, not back, just out of here..."
"But aren't they busy... invading the world?"
"They can send a chopper, or a... i don't know, something."
I looked around to see if Alucard was within sight. If we found him on the radio a mess was inevitable. And if we found him on the radio flirting with Integra, we'd have faced the end of the world.
"I don't know if it's a good idea... i mean... maybe we should... i don't know."
"What? Is there something... amiss?"
My mind was utterly empty of ideas, and full on thoughts like:
I'd have expected she to shoot at me
Se seems different from yesterday
Well, me too
Now, if i just said anything clever...
Like what?
Like...
Like...
Like...
"Have you two decided to spend your life on here?" it wasn't me who said this. It was Schrö.
"What are you doing here? I though they needed you!" Rip said.
"Ah, they sent me here, the attack is delayed."
"Why?"
"They say someone has warned Hellsing and thy sent someone to take Alucard back, so we wait to see if it's true."
I was about to wear my best poker-player expression, but then a thought crossed my mind.
"Did they say just Alucard? What about me?"
"I dunno, i think they'll take you too."
"Yeah, but i mean, not even mentioning me? Am i just the mascot or what?"
"There's nothing wrong in being the mascot." said the cat-boy, offended. I decided to change subject.
"What are you supposed to do here?"
(apart from saving me from embarrassment)
"Oh, to check if it was you who sent them a message."
"No he hasn't." Rip answered, saving me once again " When you left..."
"When you shot me."
"Ja, well, when you left, we called the Hellsing boss and i didn't allow him to warn her. It's all right."
"Maybe he has called later?"
"Nah, after we just talked a bit and..." she blushed. I felt my cheeks warming too.
"...slept there..." i said
"...Together." she concluded. Schrö looked at us leaning his head on the left, like when cats want you to do something.
"So... you sure?" he asked.
"Yeah. Sure."
"Oh well. No problem."
Rip took him by the ear. "Are you going to save us or what?"
"No! Why?"
"Because we're stuck on this damn ship and Hellsingers are coming!"
"'Hellsingers'?"
"Well i mean Hellsing agents, how do you call yourselves?"
"I... hem... Hellsing Agents, i guess."
"Oh. That's a bit... banal. I mean, it's good... but... maybe Hellsingers is better?"
"I'll propose that to Integra. And anyway, it's not that you of Millennium have a name for the agents, do you?"
"Werwolves!" said Schrö and Rip in unison.
"Ok, stupid question, now about rescuing us..."
"I can't" said the cat boy "But i can tell the Major you want to be rescued."
"Couldn't he have guessed it on his own?" i said.
"Well i-" Schrödinger's chest exploded in a flower of blood. His head followed the same fate. Alucard was holding his gun and laughing as he destroyed every remaining piece of the Millennium messenger.
"Every time it's more fun to shoot him!" he yelled.
"And if he was telling us something interesting?"
"He'll regenerate and come back. And i'll shoot him again. And again. And again. And..."
"Okay, i get it. He said someone is being sent to take us back!"
"Really? Is that what he was telling you?"
"THERE'S A PLANE!" Rip half screamed and half singed.
And she half aimed the musket. I and Alucard jumped together on her and disarmed her.
"What? Why? It's not coming for us..."
It was. And it wasn't a plane. It was a jet. It got on the vertical of the aircraft carrier and descended slowly and vertically. It had no signs and obscured glasses.
The door opened. It was one of those moments when you regret being a vampire because you can't hold you breath.