The constant droning of the road and the vibration of the bike was getting to Voodoo. All she wanted was to stop. Her stomach was burning with hunger. She felt sick and wasn't sure how much longer she could stand it. They had been traveling back roads with very few landmarks or people for what seemed like forever. Judging by the position of the sun in the sky it had probably only been a couple hours. Slowly the landscape had started to change before her. The occasional billboard started to pop up advertising roadside attractions, gas stations, hotels and restaurants. Signs started to appear here and there. Traffic increased around them. Voodoo was elated when she saw the sign for a diner up ahead and they turned in to the lot.

She was slightly indignant when Zealot accompanied her to the restroom. She was even more irritated when she was ushered into the corner booth and sandwiched between Grifter and Zealot. Voodoo perused the menu carefully. She was extremely hungry and the typical greasy spoon fare all looked good. Piles of pancakes, greasy bacon, steak and eggs all enticed her. Dancing was pretty much a cardio work out every night. Working five nights a week she could eat just about anything she wanted without worries. She still tried to keep her diet relatively healthy. Her companions ordered without even looking at their menus leaving her to stutter out an order for whatever was at the top of the specials. They made no secret of their impatience which pissed off Voodoo even more. Once the waitress returned with their coffee Grifter started to look a little less annoyed.

Grifter sipped at his coffee and started the anticipated explanations

"So I guess we should probably go over what's going on. You see, the Earth is in a war…a war most people don't even know about. These bug face alien creatures called Daemonites are using humans as host bodies and manipulating people in power."

"These aliens are not alone though," Zealot explained. "The Kherubim also came to this Earth at the same time as the Daemonites. The Kherubim have integrated and in some cases even interbred with the human race. We have fought the Daemonites in secret but the war is reaching a boiling point. You and I are of the blood of the Kherubim stranded here thousands of years ago. You are gifted with fantastic power that you must learn to use."

"So I'm supposed to help you ..and you're telling me I'm descended from an alien?"

"Exactly."

"So…what are you going to do to me? Keep me prisoner forever?"

"We had hoped that you would join our crusade. When destiny commands us to act many would like to ignore its call. We can train you to fight, and help you harness your powers and use them to their full potential. We believe that you can not only see these creatures but will eventually be able to exorcise them from their hosts. This is a power no other being currently living has. You are the only one who can locate the mole they are using to orchestrate Daemonite reunification."

"I have school coming up. I have a new semester starting soon."

"I am sorry, Priscilla, but returning to your old life will never be an option since the Cabal knows of your existence. Contacting even friends or family would not be wise right now."

"Well, I don't have a lot to worry about in that department. My landlord is probably the only person that will miss me. This is a lot to take in and I still don't know why I should trust either of you."

"For the same reason you have cooperated thus far, you have no other choice."

"Cheer up, kid. She used almost that same argument on me to join her little war. It isn't so bad."

"You forget, Grifter. This young girl had dazzling potential with a future, not the life of violence for hire you left for one of higher purpose."

"Y'know, Zealot, sometimes you can be a real bitch."

Priscilla stared into her coffee wishing she could just wake up from this nightmare she was now engulfed in. She wished for a recent time where she hadn't heard of Daemonites, Kherubim or shadowy criminal organizations run by aliens. These people were seriously bat shit crazy but they didn't seem to be out to hurt her. As she had been around them longer she was able to pick up more. She was starting to "sense" things in people more and more. Intentions, emotions, and other residue that just seemed to drip off them was being picked up by her the same way one would pick up a smell or taste. There was certainly a lot of energy coming off of both of them, but she didn't feel any harmful intentions. She resigned herself to cooperate for the time being.

She glanced up at the newscast that played on the TV in the diner. Her eyes grew wide in disbelief at first. Her gifts would manifest often and grew stronger as of late. Usually it was just the psychic aspect: picking up intentions and the occasional stray thought. This could occasionally be disturbing in her old line of work. This though was so much worse. As she saw what others could not she marveled that it had taken her this long to see the truth before her. Her "sight" had located the lynchpin in reunification.

"Oh God."

"What is it, Voodoo?" Zealot asked with concern."

"It's him. It's the government mole," she said quietly as she pointed towards the screen.

"You are sure?" Zealot looked at her incredulously.

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life."

Grifter smirked as he picked up a bite of egg with his fork. "Why am I not surprised?"

HALO Industries

"Cole Cash. Ex-military. Disappeared off the map in '72. He would have been presumed dead but he had been involved in occasional free lance military work often in conjunction with a partner. I wasn't able to hack much of his military record. He was involved in some pretty heavy Black Ops stuff. He has family ties to Chicago, but nothing to suggest he would be heading that way. The man is nomadic. He has no property registered, no car registration, no tax records since 1972 when he disappeared. He is basically assumed dead by the U.S. government but there is evidence that he has been operating under aliases for the last two decades. He never stays in one place too long and there's usually few witnesses left when he leaves. He has worked as a mercenary in the past so we will be operating under the assumption that he has taken the girl for his current employer, whoever that may be."

Warblade sat arms folded as Spartan finished commentary accompanied by a series of photos of the mysterious Cole Cash most of which were decades old or taken from a distance. "That guy doesn't look so tough. Is he even an SPB?"

"The man is dangerous and right now he has the advantage as he has the girl in his possession. Don't underestimate him. We have not been able to get any information in regards to his partner. We have to be ready to move the second Void is able to pick anything up," Spartan advised.

"He didn't even stick around to fight. This should be a piece of cake once we find out where he is hiding," Warblade added.

"Don't get cocky, Warblade. Marlowe has authorized deadly force if necessary. We can't let the Gifted One get into the wrong hands."

Voodoo continued to hold on for dear life. Her new "friends" drove like maniacs on the road. She was starting to feel sick to her stomach after stuffing herself at breakfast. The sun was starting to beat down on them. It had to be at least a couple hours since they had left the diner. The area they were in was once again desolate. Her previous nervousness was returning. Suddenly they veered off to a path that was barely visible from the road. The road wasn't even paved and went deep into the woods for about a mile and a half. The ride was bumpy and she gripped Cole with all her might as she closed her eyes in terror. Just as she felt she couldn't take another second the bike skidded to a sudden halt. She remained still trying to regulate her breathing.

"We're here," Voodoo heard as she finally opened her eyes. Shakily she swung her leg off of the bike and placed both feet firmly in the grass. She exhaled hard as she had wondered if she would ever touch solid ground again or if her life would be cut tragically short by a crash. The striking young woman pulled the helmet off of her head and tried not to picture what her hair must look like. She looked up and stared at the run down building in front of her shielding her eyes from the early afternoon sun. She stood surveying the structure. It was rustic with a cedar roof, log walls that had seen better days and a stone chimney leaning precariously to one side. It was modernized with a conspicuously out of place rooftop solar panel.

"This is going to be our safe house for now. We will commence with your training at dawn. Grifter will show you around. I am going to do a sweep of the perimeter as a precaution." Voodoo watched as Zealot slung a sword over her shoulder and walked towards the woods surrounding them. There was a wide area cleared of trees on all sides of the cabin. She bit her lip nervously when she heard the more friendly tone of the Grifter.

"It's bigger than it looks, Pris. There's an underground bunker stocked with enough supplies to survive out here for a year. I'll take you for a tour." Grifter stubbed out his cigarette and began walking towards the front door. She followed behind him to the front porch as he unlocked the door. Once inside it still looked like a modest, normal cabin. The place was furnished sparsely with little to no personalization except for the occasional sports pennant which she was guessing were probably Grifter's. There wasn't really much of a tour as most of the cabin was visible from the front door. There was a living room at the front with a small counter and some appliances that passed for a kitchen along the back wall. The television was probably at least 15 years old and had an antenna pathetically wrapped with tin foil. He showed her the room she would be staying in which was, unsurprisingly, the furthest from the door. There was a bathroom between the two bedrooms which was at least clean. Grifter pulled her by the arm. "Now this is the fun part." She followed him to the cellar door.

He led her to the underground bunker he had told her about earlier. As he flipped on the light her eyes widened at the vast amount of weaponry stored there. Guns were laid out in neat rows along the walls. Blades were hanging in an equally organized fashion from the other. "Back stock of food is over there." Huge 5 gallon jugs of water were stacked away in a corner. Wood crates with nonperishable food were beside them. Crates overflowing with ammo were in another corner.

These people were nuttier than she previously imagined. It all became alarmingly real. She was trapped out in the middle of nowhere with two maniacs who were preparing for the Rapture or World War III. They could do anything to her and no one would be the wiser. Even if they didn't have any ill intentions currently if they were insane they very probably would kill her without hesitation or prior intent. She had alarming visions of ending up as one of those bleached skeletons found by hunters or mushroom pickers decades after initial disappearance. Maybe her femur would be retrieved by a terrier hiking with its owner or perhaps she would simply never be found.

"Gotta be prepared for anything. I know this is a lot to take in. Z and I will keep you safe. She can come off kind of bitchy but she's not all bad once you get to know her. You get used to her attitude after a while. Sometimes you just gotta tune her out." Grifter was pulling out his cigarettes again. She got the distinct impression he didn't get to talk to many people other than his platinum haired companion. "Let's go outside for a second." Grifter started to head back towards the stairs. Voodoo followed then midway up she grabbed his arm. She was going to try to test how far her psychic abilities could take her.

"Cole, why don't you take me back to my room." She stared at him intensely with sultry eyes. He could feel the familiar but unpleasant sensation of someone trying to get into his mind. He stared her down then ripped his arm away from her grasp.

"It won't work on me, Voodoo," he said angrily. "Don't try to pull that shit on me again." He walked away from her towards the front of the cabin. Voodoo's shoulders slumped in defeat as he slammed the front door. She watched him through the window. He pulled a cigarette from the pack, lit it, then leaned against the porch post. She saw him looking intently at the front lawn. As she got closer to the window she realized Zealot had returned. The older woman was going through a martial arts routine. Her movements were fluid and graceful. Each movement was an exercise in precision. Voodoo peered intently through the window. Grifter watched Zealot intensely taking the occasionally hit off his cigarette. After a minute her routine was finished. She sheathed her sword and turned towards Grifter. "The perimeter has been secured."

"Great, let's eat then."

I/O Headquarters

John Lynch had a bad feeling about events currently unfolding. There had been a lot of rumors flying around the spook community. This coupled with several unexplained energy spikes along the East Coast had him worried. There was a new player in the SPB community making what they thought to be a quiet debut. He was aware of the presence and as soon as he was able to get a lock on them a Razor team would be deployed. "The psionic anomaly is back in New York, Sir."

"Were you able to pinpoint it, Ms. Turner?"

"Not as close as we needed, however I was able to gather more info on their specific signature. The next time they pop up our systems are set to pinpoint their exact coordinates."

"Very good. I guess now we just wait. It's just a matter of time," Lynch headed off to rest. He had a strong suspicion the coming days would hold his chance to confront these new rogue SPBs.
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