Chapter 5:The Quest
Shortly after morning broke, the MASK agents went to the hidden laboratory.
"You seem tired, Matt." said Nevada. "Have you been getting enough sleep?"
"As much as I can." said Matt. "I'm sure you've noticed our situation."
"I see what you mean." said Nevada.
"So, who's your science guy?" asked Caitlin.
"This is Michael Rainwolf." said Nevada. "He's a graduate of the University of Oklahoma who majored in numerous sciences. He's the top researcher here."
Jeremy walked into the lab. "Hey, I saw what was in that cargo container." he said. "Very nice. What is that for?"
"If we can complete this project," said Michael "that will be the conveyance of the vampires' destruction. We will mount the anti-vampire weapon within once it's completed."
"Looks like you'll be slaying in style." said Jeremy.
"'Slaying' may not be the correct word." said Michael. "Liam, what do you know about the source of Riley's powers?"
"My parents told me tales of Riley's origins." said Liam. "They said that he had undertaken a quest for great power over his fellow man. He had learned of a powerful artifact that was said to grant such powers to he who possessed it. However, there was a terrible price to be paid in the possessor's soul."
"Your parents seem well-versed in this legend." said Alex.
"Well, they oughta." said Liam. "Dad was a descendant of those who originally trapped Riley in his castle and therefore sworn to keep watch on him. Mum was almost one of his victims due to a dare. Not one of her smarter moments."
"About this artifact?" asked Gloria.
"Oh right." said Liam. "By now, you should be familiar with the powers granted by this artifact. Increased strength, extreme fortitude, hypnosis, sharpened reflexes, sharpened senses, eternal life, plus the ability to pass this onto others. But you're aware of the weaknesses as well. The possessor and those infected are weak against anything holy, sunlight, and fire. Well, more weak against fire than your usual human. These weaknesses have been exploited by my father and the others who were descended from the original army. And they worked bloody well until that idiot Mayhem intervened."
"What was this artifact?" asked Tony.
"It was a golden statue resembling a griffin raising its paw." said Liam.
Buddie looked intrigued. "I think I know of this artifact." he said.
"Yes?" asked Matt.
"My contacts in the criminal underworld have mentioned it." said Buddie. "They say that Mayhem and his misfits were seeking said griffin, but that it broke in two after a trap was sprung. It turned out to he a wooden statue coated in gold."
"That wasn't it." said Liam. "The statuette is solid gold. It's said that Riley used the statuette to lure potential victims to his castle. He has a false one in place in case someone manages to get their grubby paws on it."
"Where is this griffin?" asked Michael.
"Simple logic says he took it with him." said Bruce.
"Hondo, maybe your contact can help us." said Buddie.
"I've never called him before." said Hondo. "Besides, it's daytime. He's most likely sleeping."
"We don't have until sunset." said Matt. "Please, Hondo. You have to try."
"Okay, but I'm not making any promises." said Hondo as he took out his cell phone.
Everybody looked at him. He checked his call history and found the number of the mystery caller. He then dialled the number and put the phone to his ear.
A few seconds later, he got his first response. "I'm trying to sleep, but I'm not expecting you to show us some compassion." said the voice on the other end.
"I hope you understand we are trying to help you." said Hondo. "We just might find a way to put an end to your curse. For that, we need your help."
"Really? Well, what can I help you with?"
"Riley has a statuette." said Hondo. "A golden griffin. We believe it's the source of his powers. Have you seen this statuette?"
"Have I seen it? Yes, I have. But it's not here in the mansion."
"Are you sure?" asked Hondo. "You might not have known what to look for."
"I know what statuette you're talking about. It was not taken from the castle."
"How can you be sure?" asked Hondo.
"Because we didn't take it with us."
Suddenly, it dawned on Hondo who his anonymous source was. "Brad?" he asked.
"Took you long enough." said Brad.
"Why didn't you tell me who you were?" asked Hondo.
"The last time you saw me, I was getting bitten by a vampire." said Brad. "I wasn't sure if I could get you to trust me. I thought I'd let my information do the talking instead."
"You're not giving into the bloodlust." said Hondo.
"It's tough, but I'm surviving. So to speak." said Brad.
"Is there anyone else like that?" asked Hondo.
"Dusty is." said Brad. "So is Max. So are a couple dozen others here."
"A couple dozen out of how many?" asked Hondo.
"Fifty maybe." said Brad. "You're coming to help us?"
"That's the plan." said Hondo.
"Good luck with that." said Brad. "As far as the others are concerned, we never spoke."
Hondo folded up his phone.
"That was Brad?" asked an astonished Matt.
"Shockingly so." said Hondo.
"The statuette?" asked Liam.
"Still in Ireland." said Hondo.
Everyone looked to Liam. "Looks like a trip to the old country is in order." he said.
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The team left the lab and came out into the reservation. Kelly was there and several of the locals were gathered around the Tornado, admiring it.
"Well? What's the scoop?" he asked.
"You got a passport?" asked Matt. "You're off to Ireland for the statuette."
"I am?" asked Kelly.
"Aye, lad." said Liam. "I'll be coming with you."
"It's only reasonable." said Alex. "He's from the area and he's descended from the ones responsible for locking away Riley."
"In short, I know where to get a map." said Liam.
"Tony, I think it best that you go too." said Matt. "Liam could use someone he can trust on this one."
"I fully accept." said Tony.
"The only question left is if you can do it." said Matt to Kelly.
"I'll try to clear it with Mayhem and Darwood." said Kelly. "I think this is going to be exciting."
"Oh, it should be." said Liam.
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A couple of hours later, Darwood had called together his agents as Mayhem and his agents watched.
"Well, this has been the biggest disaster I have ever watched over." said Darwood. "I had the research set up in three stations. One has been captured by our archrivals. The second has been completely destroyed."
"On the brighter side," said Gilford "the vampires haven't gotten their hands on it and realized it's a trap. Otherwise, we couldn't keep drawing them out."
"A good point, Marcus." said Darwood. "This last station, the research center in the mountains, is our last chance. If the research is captured or destroyed, the vampires will have accomplished their mission and cease their attacks on us. To increase our chances of victory, I am ordering all available personel to stand guard over the center. Is that clear?"
"Clear as glass." said Calvin.
"Good." said Darwood. "I want you all to continue to practice with your vehicles. I want those vehicles to be a virtual extention of yourselves."
"No problem, sir." said Bates.
As the agents were getting up to leave, Kelly casually strolled in.
"Kelly!" yelled Darwood. "I don't really enjoy the fact that you decided to bail on us in the middle of a serious battle. I also dislike the fact that you disappear after the battle and don't show up until now. I think you should take the afternoon to think about how that made me feel."
Kelly looked at him tensely, then said "Okay." nonchallantly.
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At MASK headquarters, Liam got on the phone.
"What time is it in Ireland?" asked Tony.
"It should be nine o'clock at night." said Liam.
"Who are you calling?" asked Tony.
"He's another descendant of the original group that sequestered Riley in his castle." said Liam. "Sean, how are you?" he asked into the phone. "It's Liam O'Grady. I have a wee bit of an emergency."
"What kind of an emergency?" asked Sean.
"Don't tell anyone," said Liam "but I think we may have come across a possible cure for vampirism."
"A cure?" asked Sean. "You mean a way to turn vampires back into people?"
"We can hope." said Liam. "I need to know something."
"Go ahead." said Sean.
"Do you know if Murt still has that floorplan to Riley's castle?" asked Liam.
"You didn't hear?" asked Sean. "Murt was killed in a vampire battle last month."
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that." said Liam. "Did he suffer much?"
"Are you kidding?" asked Sean. "We're talking about Murt. THEY suffered."
"I suppose they did." said Liam. "I just want you to know that I will be returning to Ireland with a couple of friends. We're going to acquire the statuette that granted Riley his powers and we're going to try to use it to develop a counter to it."
"I look forward to seeing you." said Sean.
"I suppose." said Liam. "I'll see you in a couple of days. Goodbye."
"See ya." said Sean. He then hung up his phone. Liam did the same...without ever realizing he had just been talking to a vampire.
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Not long afterwards, Liam, Tony, and Kelly prepared to board the plane.
"The plane is set to take off." said Matt at the gate. "When are you set to arrive in Ireland?"
"Taking into account how long it took me to get here," said Liam "I think tomorrow morning is very likely."
"What are your plans once you get there?" asked Matt.
"First, we're going to go to a friend's house." said Liam. "There's supposed to be a floorplan for Riley Castle hidden in there somewhere. After that, we're going to Riley Castle to secure the statuette."
"How did Riley achieve his powers from the statuette?" asked Matt.
"I'm not really sure yet." said Liam. "Why do you ask?"
"Because I'm a little concerned." said Matt. "If you were to accidentally do the same thing he did, you might end up like him."
Liam thought about his comment for a couple of seconds. "A valid point." he said. "So, what are you and the others going to do?"
"Darwood's research center has not yet been attacked." said Matt. "We figured they were about due. We'll be backing up Mayhem and Darwood and their forces."
"Well, good luck with that." said Liam.
"Good luck to you too." said Matt. "Have a safe trip."
Liam turned and walked towards the gate. He joined Tony when he got there.
"So, how are we getting around Ireland?" asked Tony.
"A friend will be giving us transportation." said Liam.
"That Sean guy?" asked Tony.
"No, someone else I called later." said Liam.
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Hours later...
"Okay, folks, this is the one." said Matt. "Mayhem may not want our help, but this is our last opportunity to deliver a serious blow to the vampires before the completion of the mission in Ireland. We're currently without Liam and Tony while Mayhem is without his guy, whatever his name is."
"So, he's going to need some backup." said Jeremy. "Anyone in mind?"
"I'd like to see how you work out in battle." said Matt.
"Then I'm in." said Jeremy.
"Also, Miss Horowitz will be joining you." said Matt. "I trust you two have trained with your vehicles."
"This afternoon." said Caitlin. "I wasn't aware a Lamborghini could do that. Of course, I was also not aware that I could do that."
"This team is full of surprises." said Matt.
"So are its members." said Jeremy.
"Then it's settled." said Matt. "Jeremy, Caitlin, Julio, and myself will join the VENOM guards at the lab."
"We'll be there." said Julio.
The agents left the briefing room and ran into Hondo.
"I just got off the phone with Brad." he said. "Someone tipped off the vampires about our little quest in Ireland. They're sending Malloy to interfere. One of their guys is already on site."
"I think we'd better warn Liam then." said Matt as he took out his cell phone. "Although he should be fine for a while. It's daytime right now in Ireland. Everything should be going smoothly so far."
----------
In Ireland...
"If this is his idea of joke, I'll kill him!" yelled Liam. He was looking at their transportation, a Hillman Minx Series III in relatively bad shape.
"Relax, Liam." said Tony. "It's still better than walking."
"I think it's kind of charming." said Kelly.
"Ah, maybe Buddie and Enzo can do something with it." said Liam. "Let's get going and try to find that map before night falls."
"You got it." said Kelly.
As Liam was approaching the car, his cell phone went off. He answered it with a quick "Yes?"
"Liam?" asked Matt. "We've just received word that Riley is sending Malloy your way in an effort to halt your operation."
"Well, I guess we'd better work a little faster." said Liam.
"Just thought you might want to be warned." said Matt.
"Thanks for the warning." said Liam.
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In the mountains overlooking the Nevada desert, Darwood's research facility stood. Already, VENOM agents were moving into the area.
"Weren't we here last night?" asked Cassidy.
"And if we manage to protect the research, we'll have to do it again tomorrow night." said Maximus.
"Maybe we should call it a night then." said Weller.
"Don't even think about it." said Mayhem. "If this isn't protected, the vampires will get the research. Who knows what they will do with it?"
On the road leading to the facility, the Thunder Hawk, Firefly, Wyvern, and Chupacabra raced up the mountain. They parked in an overlook above the facility.
"Care to introduce us?" asked Caitlin.
"Certainly." said Matt. He pointed to the Switchblade and said "The guy in the helicopter is Miles Mayhem, VENOM leader." He then pointed to the Jackhammer and said "Cliff Dagger, weapons expert and general moron, drives the Excursion." He pointed to the Buzzard and said "The driver of the McLaren is Miles Mayhem's twin brother, Maximus." He looked at the Piledriver and said "We saw the bus in action last night, but we have no info on the driver." He looked at the Cannonball, Roach, and Zombie. "The others I have no information on." he said.
"When does the action begin?" asked Jeremy.
"Patience, mi amigo." said Julio. "Soon, you may have more action than you can handle."
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Max walked through Riley's mansion which was somewhat chaotic. He quickly found Brad and asked "What's going on?"
"Just what it looks like, total chaos." said Brad. "Riley is sending Laura, Elizabeth, Gorey, and Melissa to retrieve the last batch of research. Also, Malloy is on his way to Ireland to help protect the source of Riley's powers."
"Does Hondo know?" asked Max.
"Yeah, I called him with both pieces of information." said Brad. "I finally revealed my identity. I think he trusts me now."
"Oh, that's a relief." said Max.
"This might not be." said Brad. "Matt also sent a couple of agents to Ireland. One was your cousin."
Max was taken aback by the news. "Whoa." he said. "I hope he's going to be okay."
"He's got a six hour head start on Malloy." said Brad. "Luckily, Malloy wasn't one of VENOM's brighter agents. I think your cousin has a fighting chance."
"Brad, did you hear?" asked another vampire. "One of our guards spotted a vehicle off to the south. We think it might be a spy for MASK."
"Is someone looking into it?" asked Brad.
"Kevin and Dusty." said the vampire. "If there's something out there, they'll find it."
As the vampire started to leave, Brad said "Yeah, they'll find it." After the vampire left earshot, he added. "Not."
"What do you mean?" asked Max.
"Dusty is one of our guys." said Brad. "He's seeking to undermine Riley's organization as well. He should be able to manipulate Kevin into missing the target."
"What about Kevin?" asked Max.
"Let's hope he doesn't spot the threat before Dusty." said Brad. "If your guy had some kind of warning, he'd have a definite advantage."
In the Naginata, Scooter donned his mask and said "Gee, I wonder what kind of warning he could mean."
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In Ireland, Liam and his group found Murt's cottage outside of Limerick. Liam parked some distance away and the group got out of the Minx.
"That had to be the most uncomfortable ride I've ever been in." said Kelly.
"And you're the one who thought the car was charming." said Tony.
"That's where Murt lives." said Liam. "Well, lived actually. He was always the outsider of the group."
"Guess that's why his pad's so far from society." said Kelly.
"Pad?" asked Tony. "What is this? The seventies?"
Liam led the group to the door and tried it. "If I know Murt..." he said. He turned the knob a certain way, then pushed hard. The door came off its hinges.
"Nice to see he took care of his place." said Tony.
The group then entered the cottage. "Yeah, this is kind of what I thought a traditional Irish cottage would look like inside." said Kelly. He then saw a widescreen television off to the side.
"He always loved 'The League of Gentlemen'." said Liam.
"Is this a treasure hunt or a wake?" asked Tony.
"Oh yes, right." said Liam.
----------
Dusty and Kevin, a vampire with brown hair who was turned in his early twenties, climbed out of a Dodge Durango with blue/black color shift paint, silver splash graphics, a large brush guard, and off-road tires mounted on Weld Cheyenne 5 rims.
"Where did they say it was?" asked Dusty.
"Out here somewhere." said Kevin. "This is the area."
"Now seems like a good time to start." said Scooter. "Maraj, on!"
Suddenly, the Naginata turned invisible. Little did Scooter realize, Dusty had glimpsed him.
Brad and Max were watching from the mansion. "Well, it looks like Jacques is either about to smile down from heaven or turn over in his grave." said Brad.
"I'll search over here." said Dusty as he pointed to the area where the Naginata was. "You take that area over there."
"Okay." said Kevin.
"I see he's easily misled." said Max.
"Keep watching." said Brad.
Kevin started to search the area Dusty told him to search. Dusty pretended to search the area he volunteered to search. He looked at the spot where he'd seen the Naginata. He then walked straight towards it.
"Can he see it at that close proximity?" asked Max.
"Maybe a little." said Brad.
Dusty got close enough to the Naginata to nearly touch it. Inside, Scooter started to hyperventilate as Dusty came closer. If Dusty could see the Naginata, he and Scooter would have been looking into each other's eyes.
Dusty squinted.
Scooter blinked.
After staring for a few more seconds, Dusty turned to Kevin and said "Ain't nothing here."
He walked back to Kevin and the truck. Scooter slowly let out a sigh of relief.
"I didn't find anything either." said Kevin.
"Must have been a mirage." said Dusty.
"I think we should put more alert guards on duty." said Kevin.
Scooter started to shake. He grabbed the steering wheel to steady himself.
"He walked right up to it." said Max. "He must have seen it."
"He did." said Brad. "Dusty's on our side. He wouldn't give your guy up."
"Thank goodness for that." said Max.
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The Night Terror, Nightbird, Night Bandit, and Nightmare raced up the road to the research facility.
They ended up parking some distance away. Melissa took out her binoculars and looked. "Mayhem and his crew are out in force tonight." she said.
"How many?" asked Elizabeth.
"Seven." said Melissa. "They even brought back that bus we faced last night."
"How do we play this?" asked Gorey.
"The same way we did it the last two nights." said Elizabeth. "Someone directly engages the VENOM forces and someone else goes into the building to retrieve the plans."
"I'll be the retriever!" said Laura.
"Wait, didn't that strategy also fail the last two nights?" asked Melissa.
"The first one failed because someone didn't prevent that MASK agent from following Laura in." said Elizabeth. "The second one failed because someone didn't prevent that VENOM agent from following you in. So, the obvious flaw is that someone needs to cover the retriever. I'll take that role since I'm always watching over Laura."
"Thanks, mom." said Laura. Elizabeth looked at her crossly.
"Let's go." said Melissa.
The vampires drove into action. Gilford, who was in the Piledriver, saw them approaching. "Here they come again." he said.
"Okay, remember our plan." said Mayhem.
"Gotcha." said Weller. He maneuvered the Roach in front of the main entrance. He then hit the conversion button. The rear split and extended rearward to become robotic legs. The passenger section elevated and the front fenders extended to the sides to become robotic arms with laser cannons attached. The hood flipped down to become a chestplate.
"I think I know what he played with as a kid." said Calvin as he converted the Piledriver.
"You're not too far off there, my man." said Weller as he lifted the arms into position.
"Oh shoot!" said Laura. "I can't get in that way!"
"The building has a skylight." said Elizabeth as she converted the Nightbird. "You can probably get in that way."
"Oh, why didn't I think of that?" said Laura. She activated the Night Bandit's transformation. The fenders and doors extended sideways and the wheels rotated downward. A pair of wings flipped up from the doors and a pair of jet engines extended from the rear fenders. A pair of laser cannons extended from the front fenders as the front bumper extended forward to become a horizontal stabilizer. A pair of vertical stabilizers flipped out of the rear hatch.
As the Night Bandit took to the air, Mayhem decided to counter her. The Switchblade's rotors retracted and the rear panels flipped forward and rotated downward to become wings. The landing skids retracted and attached to the wings to become laser cannons. Another pair of laser cannons extended from the engines.
"I'll back you up." said Cassidy. She accelerated to high speed, then transformed the Cannonball. The spoiler elevated to reveal a pair of jet engines and split to become a pair of vertical stabilizers. The rear wheels roated back attached to wings. The front wheels flipped down as the hood slid forward to reveal laser cannons and become canards.
Dagger converted the Jackhammer while Carl did the same with the Zombie. The body arched in the middle and the passenger compartment rose to become a turret. A pair of laser cannons extended from the front of the turret while the rear elevated to become a missile launcher and radar dish. The front bumper extended forward to become a ram.
Gorey converted the Nightmare and Melissa ran interference in the Night Terror. The MASK agents watched from the overlook.
"Looks like we're not needed." said Julio.
"Yeah, VENOM's got them completely outnumbered." said Jeremy. "They've also exposed a flaw in the vampires' plan."
"Don't rush to judgement on that." said Matt. "The vampires almost succeeded two nights in a row. It was only through our intervention that they failed."
"Guys, look!" said Caitlin. The Night Bandit had flown to the roof of the building and Laura shot out the skylights.
"Let's go, team." said Matt. "We've got a reason to be here after all."
The agents jumped into their cars and started them.
"Jeremy, your car doesn't fly." said Matt. "I'm afraid you'll have to take the access road."
"Understood." said Jeremy.
The engines on the Night Bandit rotated upward to vector their thrust downward. The craft lowered itself through the broken skylight and landed in the center of a lounge.
"Blast!" yelled Mayhem. "Cassidy, get in there!"
"As you wish." said Cassidy.
As she flew the Cannonball to the roof, the MASK agents joined the battle. The Thunder Hawk was first to transform. The gull-wing doors flipped open and the side skirts extended to become laser cannons. The spoiler and rear bumper rose to reveal jet engines.
The Wyvern was next. The rear fenders and engine cover extended rearward. The rear fenders then rotated upward slightly to reveal jet engines. The spoiler split and extended to the sides to become horizontal stabilizers. The side skirts extended to become wings. A pair of laser cannons extended from the intakes in the front bumper.
The Firefly was right behind her. The rear wheels rotated rearward mounted on wings. The rear wheels became rocket thrusters while the front wheels, also mounted to the wings, had lasers on them. The hood split and folded open sideways to reveal a third laser and also to become canards.
"MASK!" said Mayhem. "What are you doing here?"
"Protecting lives, like you are supposed to be doing." said Matt over his radio. "You've just confirmed that you are in league with Malcolm Darwood."
"Indeed I am." said Mayhem. "But I doubt that makes much of a difference in this battle."
"I agree for once." said Matt. "I will lend you our assistance this once."
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"Now, if I were Murt, where would I hide that map?" asked Liam.
"It's not a big place, so there aren't a lot of options." said Kelly.
"Maybe it's in the attic." said Tony.
"No, Murt was afraid of heights." said Liam. "He never went up to the attic."
"Is there a basement?" asked Kelly.
"No." said Liam. "There shouldn't be. Wait."
He crouched down and started searching the floor.
"What is it?" asked Tony.
"Murt once told me he found a loose floorboard." said Liam. "He said he was going to use it to hide something in there someday."
"And you think he might have hidden it there." said Tony.
"Exactly." said Liam. "Our group decided the best way to keep our secrets safe would be to share each secret with one other member. Murt shared the secret of his hidey hole with me."
"So, where is this floorboard?" asked Tony.
"He never said." said Liam.
"I think I found it." said Kelly. He stepped on a floorboard and found it to be loose.
Liam walked over to his location and tried to pry the board out with a Swiss army knife. After a few seconds, the board popped out.
"Is it in there?" asked Kelly.
"Let me check." said Liam. He reached into the gap and felt around. "I think I found it." he said. He pulled a piece of paper out of the hole and brushed off the dust.
"Is that it?" asked Kelly.
"Looks like it." said Liam. "Yes, I think this is it."
"Great, let's go." said Kelly.
"You know, I think we should say a few words for Murt before we go." said Tony.
"I agree." said Liam. "It was because of him that the map was still here for us to find."
Liam, Tony, and Kelly stood together.
"We gather here in memory of Murt." said Tony. "He was a brave man that two of us have never met, but greatly appreciate his actions. To Murt. We thank you and will use your final gift to save us all."
Suddenly, a pair of gunshots rang out.
"What the heck was that?" asked Liam.
"It came from the attic." said Kelly.
They looked over at the ladder to the attic and saw the ceiling panel at the top was slightly askew.
"Whoever's up there, show yourself!" said Tony.
The panel pulled open. Kelly hid behind Liam. After that, Sean dropped through the hole and landed in front of them.
"I didn't expect you so soon." said Sean.
"I suppose I should have seen this coming." said Liam.
"Aye, you should have." said Sean. "Thank you so much for telling me that Murt had the map to Riley's castle. I knew there was something that guy wasn't telling me."
"You're one of them now." said Liam. "Murt's dead. Declan's still on our side. Other than him, it's just me."
"Pretty soon, it's just Declan." said Sean.
"In case you haven't noticed, I've got backup." said Liam. He looked to Tony and they shared a nod. He then looked to where he thought Kelly was and discovered he had escaped. "Well, this lad is a man of the cloth and that's still good." said Liam.
"So was Murt." said Sean. "He was studying for the priesthood when I did him in. I hope his faith protected his soul more than his life."
He and Liam rushed each other. Liam elbowed Sean in the face while Sean returned with a knee to the flank.
"You'll have to do better than that." said Liam.
"I did, when I killed Murt." said Sean. "Did you know he doused himself with holy water so that he'd burn to death when he turned? He chose death over dishonor. Commendable. What's it going to be with you, Liam? Death or dishonor?"
"I'm leaving here with my life and my soul." said Liam.
"We'll see." said Sean.
He and Liam rushed each other again. This time, Liam dropped to his side and slid under Sean as Sean tried to rake his nails across Liam. Liam got back up and ran for the door. Tony was already on his way out.
Sean recovered from his maneuver and went for the ladder. "Guess I'd better get the rifle again." he said.
Outside, Liam and Tony found Kelly standing by the Minx.
"Guys, I found the target of those gunshots." he said. A puddle of battery acid had formed under the engine.
"Well, there goes the security deposit." said Tony.
That was when they heard it: the familiar beating of a helicopter's rotor blades. They looked off to the east to see the helicopter approaching.
"If that's who I think it is, he's not going to be happy about the car." said Liam.
The helicopter, a Westland Lynx, drew closer and flew in close to the group.
Sean aimed his rifle at the group. "I think I'll just leave you alive just enough to survive until nightfall." he said. "Then, I dine nicely."
As he was getting ready to pull the trigger, the Lynx flew in front of him and trained its outrigger weapons on him.
The pilot looked at him and said "Hello, Sean, and goodbye."
"This is going to hurt." said Sean.
The pilot pulled the trigger and fired off a pair of rocket pods mounted under the wings. The cottage exploded in a massive fireball.
"Whoa!" said Kelly. "Talk about overkill!"
The pilot set down not far from them. Liam ran over and said "Nice to see someone's still alive, Declan!"
"After I dropped off the car, I went back to my airfield for some real firepower." said Declan. "Climb in, daylight's running out and that's our only advantage over the vamps."
Liam climbed into the co-pilot's seat while Tony and Kelly climbed in back.
"Sorry about the car." said Liam.
"I'll get it fixed later." said Declan. "Besides, there's more at stake right now than a beaten up British car."
"Got that right." said Liam.
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Julio was engaged in a dogfight with Elizabeth. Mayhem was backing him up.
"This girl has been responsible for many losses of ours." said Julio.
"Yeah, she's been a never-ending source of pain for us too." said Mayhem.
"I hope I can keep these guys busy long enough for Laura to get in there." thought Elizabeth.
The Piledriver was locked in battle with the Nightmare. Both vehicles fired upon each other without causing much damage.
"Why don't you come closer?" yelled Calvin. "Show us you're not chicken!"
"And let you hit me while I'm in transit?" said Gorey. "Not in a million years!"
Neither of them noticed the Chubacapra had rejoined the battle. "Yeah, I can see I'm needed." said Jeremy.
He activated the transformation of the Chupacabra. The body rose up a couple of feet. The front clip flipped forward to reveal a small gun turret. The doors flipped out gull-wing style with missile racks on them. The trunk hatch popped open to reveal a drill which extended past the rear bumper.
Jeremy trained his missiles on the Nightmare's ladder cannon. He fired off a salvo and knocked out the ladder. "Gotcha!" he said.
"What?" said a surprised Gorey.
"Now that Gorey's lost his long range weaponry," said Carl "I can go in and take him down a peg or two."
Inside the building, Laura looked for the lab where the research was kept. "Hello, research." she called. "Where are you?"
She had no idea that Cassidy had landed the Cannonball and was now searching for her. "Now where did she go?" she asked herself.
She looked down the hallway towards the labs. She noticed that someone had scratched letters into the wall. She took a closer look and discovered to her amusement that it was the alphabet.
"Doesn't look like the work of a professional scientist." she said to herself.
She then ran down the hallway to see if her hunch was correct. She found the doors to the labs smashed in. She also heard commotion from one of the labs and went to investigate.
Inside, Laura was throwing things around the lab. "Where is it?" she asked.
"Do you even know what you're looking for?" asked Cassidy.
"Do you know where the research is?" asked Laura. "Tell me where it is! Please!"
"Not on your life." said Cassidy.
"You have to tell me where it is!" said Laura. "We need it! If you don't tell me, I'll be mad!"
"And what are you going to do to me if I refuse to help you?" asked Cassidy.
Laura bared her fangs and jumped towards Cassidy.
"Sorry I asked." said Cassidy. "Nitro, on!"
Cassidy was surrounded by a green energy field and moved out of the way of Laura's attack with lightning speed.
Laura landed face first on the floor near Cassidy's original position.
"You'll have to do better than that." said Cassidy.
Suddenly, she was grabbed from behind. "How's this?" asked Melissa, the one who grabbed her.
"Melissa, she doesn't fight fair." whined Laura.
"Really, that's not nice." said Melissa sarcasticly.
"Let me go!" said Cassidy as she struggled against her attacker.
"Tell us where the research is and I will." said Melissa.
"How did you get in here?" asked Cassidy.
"I managed to make it in through a garbage chute." said Melissa. "Now, where is the research?"
She tightened her grip on Cassidy for effect. "It's in the room across the hall." said Cassidy.
Melissa released Cassidy who fell to the floor out of breath.
"See, was that so hard?" asked Laura.
"Shut up." said Cassidy.
Melissa entered the next lab and picked up the computer.
"Oh, I didn't know it was on the computer." said Laura. "I wish I'd known that earlier."
"Doesn't matter now." said Melissa. "Grab the woman and we're outta here."
"You said you'd let me go!" said Cassidy as Laura picked her up.
"I did." said Melissa. "You should've run when we gave you the chance."
Outside, Maximus continued to evade fire in the Buzzard. "Time to fight back." he said.
He activated the transformation of the Buzzard. The vehicle split into three others with the center, where Maximus was sitting, becoming a fighter jet. The two sides became remote controlled drones. They ganged up on the Nightmare, unleashing their firepower on the large vehicle.
"I'm getting hammered on down here." said Gorey.
"Well, what do you want me to do?" asked Elizabeth.
Just then, Melissa's voice came over the radio. "Now hear this." she said. "I have your precious research and will be making my getaway. If you even think of following us, I don't think my hostage will be coming back. Tell them, sweetheart."
"Don't try to save me!" yelled Cassidy over the radio. "Stop this jerk at all costs!"
"Cass?" yelled Calvin.
"That's right, we have your girl." said Melissa. "If anyone tries to get their research back, it's lights out for her."
The agents saw the Night Terror speeding away from the facility.
"Get her!" said Mayhem.
"No!" said Calvin. "You'll kill Cass!"
"Mayhem, you don't have to chase them down." said Matt. "We've managed to find their headquarters. We can find them when we plan to go after them."
----------
Night was falling as Liam, Tony, Kelly, and Declan went over the map to Riley Castle. They were in a pub a few blocks from the building were they had landed the Lynx.
Kelly was swinging his hand to the song played by the band. "It's nice to hear a traditional Irish song." he said. "This tune was probably written many centuries ago. Since then, it's survived the Potato Famine, the Easter Rising, the Troubles..."
"It's the Cranberries, you moron." said Liam.
Kelly listened a little closer. The song was, in fact, "Ode To My Family".
"Now about this map." said Tony.
"This is supposedly the most up to date map of Riley Castle in existance." said Liam. "Murt used to sneak into the castle once a year to map the place."
"What, did he have a death wish?" asked Tony. "Sorry, bad choice of words."
"I'll let it go this time." said Liam. "He was one of the best architects in the county. He had a keen eye for designing interiors. We've shown this to other people who have been in there and they say it's completely accurate."
"Why did he draw this up?" asked Kelly.
"I've got this one." said Declan. "Murt was curious about something. He thought there was something else in there, but he wasn't sure what. He thought that if he drew up the map, he could study it and determine what was inside the castle. He also drew up the map in the case of his untimely demise."
"Makes him seem eerily prescient." said Liam.
"Not to sound weird," said Tony "but did he note any booby traps in the castle?"
"He marked quite a few." said Liam as he studied the map. "He also listed the one that Mayhem and his goons triggered when they went after the statuette twenty years ago."
"So, what do you say?" asked Kelly. "Are you up to the quest?"
"I'm okay now." said Liam. "Let's go for it."
As they got up, Liam's cell phone went off. "O'Grady." he said as he answered.
"Liam, it's Matt. We've got a problem."
"What's that?" asked Liam.
"The vampires raided the research facility tonight." said Matt. "They got the research and are soon to discover it's fake. Your mission just got a lot more important."
"Don't worry, I won't fail." said Liam. "I'll talk to you later."
"Good luck, my friend." said Matt.
Liam closed his phone and said "Lads, our mission just became a wee bit more vital. The third piece of research has been captured."
"Uh oh." said Kelly.
"It's getting dark." said Tony. "Malloy could be after us any second."
"Then, we'd better get moving." said Declan.
----------
At Shannon Airport...
"What's the story on this car?" asked a baggage handler. He was looking at the Nightwolf.
"The car was flown in on a plane from the U.S." said another. "Someone is supposed to come by to pick it up."
Suddenly, the car started and drove off the carrier is was mounted on. It continued out of the airport.
"I've never seen that before." said the first baggage handler.
----------
The Lynx flew over the Irish countryside. Declan knew where the castle was, having performed several patrols around it. He found it quickly and landed in a clearing out of visual range.
"Why here?" asked Tony.
"We don't want the vampires to know someone's standing guard." said Declan. "If I park here, they won't think to look for me and I can surprise them."
"Sounds like a plan." said Liam.
"Well, let's get going." said Kelly. "The sooner we go in, the sooner we find the statuette and get out."
"Right." said Liam.
The three men jumped out of the helicopter and made their way to the castle. Liam was the first one in. After entering the foyer, Liam took out the map and laid it out on the floor. Tony turned on a flashlight and shone it on the map.
"Can we try to apply some logic to this so we don't spend all night here?" asked Tony.
"I'm working on it." said Liam. "All we know is that the statuette isn't where Mayhem and company found the decoy."
"Maybe it is there." said Kelly. "You know, last place you'd think to look?"
"That is really short-sighted and dumb." said Liam. "It's also just stupid enough to work."
"I give you a 'Thanks' coupled with a 'Hey!'" said Kelly.
Liam folded up the map and the trio entered the lower levels of the castle.
----------
Outside, Declan sat in the Lynx and kept watch.
"I wish I'd brought a book." he said. "Heard good things about Christopher Moore."
Just then, the Nightwolf pulled up in front of the castle.
"What's this?" asked Declan.
Malloy climbed out and said "Well, this brings back memories." He walked into the castle.
"Might as well call the lads." said Declan.
----------
"Thanks, Declan." said Liam. "We'll keep an eye out." He released the button and said "You heard that, right?"
He, Tony, and Kelly were in the room where the VENOM agents were dropped after triggering the booby trap.
"Sounds like Malloy." said Tony. "Let's find that statuette before he gets here."
"Doesn't look like they reset the trap." said Kelly as he looked at the collapsed floor from the room above.
"They didn't have to." said Liam.
"If the decoy was a marker for the real statuette's location," said Tony "it could be under the floor or behind that wall where the ground is supposed to be."
"I guess we can search for a loose brick or two." said Liam.
"I wouldn't bother." said Kelly. "Not unless you brought heavy equipment."
"We have fellow agents who would suffice." said Liam.
Tony looked at them, then looked up at the ceiling two floors up. "What's up there?" he asked.
Liam took out the map. "According to the map, nothing." he said. "There's a huge empty space on the top floor, no room."
"The space is sealed in." said Kelly. "I saw the upper floor as we were coming in. There was no break in the wall. I would have seen it."
"Hmm, the space just might be big enough for a place to hide a statuette." said Liam. "I think it's worth checking out."
The three climbed the stairs to the top floor. On their way up, they heard what sounded like a helicopter starting up.
"Is that Declan?" asked Tony.
"I think so." said Liam.
The three reached the top floor and walked over to where the "missing" room was on their map. They saw a blank wall.
"Well, here's wall one." said Tony.
"There should be two others on either side." said Liam.
"One of them might have a secret door." said Kelly.
"Aye." said Liam. "I'll check this wall. You check the one in that room." he said to Kelly. "You check the one in that other room." he said to Tony.
"What are we looking for?" asked Tony.
"A hidden switch, cracks in the mortar, anything out of the ordinary." said Liam.
"Got it." said Kelly as he entered the room Liam indicated. Tony entered the other. Liam began to search the wall with his flashlight.
Tony analyzed the wall in front of him with his own flashlight. He looked at the lines of mortar between the blocks, sure that either cracks or a hidden switch could be found in them.
Liam checked the wall. He spotted a crack in the mortar and leaned in for a closer look. He saw the crack didn't encircle the block and let out a sigh of disgust.
Kelly swept his flashlight over the wall he was supposed to check. He wasn't sure how to search for a way through. He heard the thumping of the helicopter again and walked over to the window to take a look. Just as he'd suspected, it was the Lynx.
Something dawned on him. He looked down the exterior wall in the direction of the secret room. He saw another window. "That was a find." he said. He got on his radio and said "I think I found a way into the room. There's a window to the room."
"Can you make it to the window?" asked Liam over the radio.
Kelly looked around the wall. He did not see a ledge below the windows. He looked up, however, and saw the top of the wall. "They don't make it easy." he muttered. He got back on the radio and said "Looks like the only way is to hold the top of the wall and sneak across that way."
"There's no other way?" asked Liam.
"Doesn't look like it." said Kelly.
"Are you up to it?" asked Liam.
"Yeah." said Kelly. "Yeah, I can do this."
He turned off his flashlight and climbed onto the window sill. He held onto the top of the frame, then reached up and grabbed the top of the wall.
He moved along the wall shuffling his hands to the side. "I must be really determined to get this thing." said Kelly to himself. "Because I'd never catch myself doing this otherwise."
Declan watched him from the helicopter. "He's crazy, yeah."
Kelly continued to sneak along the wall until he put his foot through the window. He dropped to the windowsill and grabbed the sides of the frame. He then pulled himself into the window and looked out again to see where he'd come from. He let out a long wimper. He took out his radio and said "I've made it into the room."
"Is the statuette in there?" asked Liam.
Kelly looked into the room and saw what he was looking for: a golden statuette in the shape of a griffin with its paw raised. "It's here." said Kelly.
"Good work." said Liam. "You know I couldn't ask you to do that incredibly dangerous maneuver with the wall again."
"And there's no way I'd do it again." said Kelly.
"I think we still need to find a way to get through that wall." said Liam.
"Does Declan's helicopter have a winch?" asked Kelly. "We can hoist it up that way."
"I think I found a loose block." said Tony over his radio. "If you give me a hand, I can get in there and help you."
Tony started to pat on the block to tell Kelly which one it was. Liam stepped away from the wall to take a breather.
That's when Malloy entered the doorway to the stairs. "You could've waited for me, you know." he said.
"Sorry, you weren't in on the plan." said Liam.
Malloy charged towards Liam and pounced with his fangs extended. Liam reached up to catch him. The two fell to the floor and Liam threw Malloy over his head.
Tony looked out the door as Kelly started to push the block out of the wall. "Hurry, something's here!" he yelled.
The block fell out of the wall. "Come on." said Kelly.
Tony crawled through the hole. Out in the hall, Liam jumped towards Malloy and threw both of his feet into his chest. Malloy was knocked back a few feet. He responded by punching Liam in the shoulder. Liam was knocked to the floor.
Liam sprung back to his feet and charged at Malloy. He tackled him into the wall. Malloy pushed him away.
"You must be Max's cousin." said Malloy. "He talks about you a lot. You shouldn't worry. You'll be joining him soon."
Liam rushed at him again. Malloy caught him and prevented him from getting closer.
Tony and Kelly looked at the statuette.
"Let me get this straight." said Kelly. "It's in the shape of a griffin, yet it turns people into essentially bat-people."
"How are we going to get it out of here?" asked Tony.
"We can always try the obvious way." said Kelly. He grabbed the statuette. Suddenly, he recoiled in pain and let out a bloodcurtling scream.
Tony froze in shock. He watched as Kelly gritted his teeth. He swore he saw Kelly growing fangs. His skin was turning pale as well.
"Dear lord, assist me in my goal to save this lamb's soul." said Tony as he crossed himself. He then took off his cross and pressed it into Kelly's hand. Kelly immediately released the statuette and fell to the floor. The fangs disappeared and his skin tone returned to normal.
"I guess that's the wrong way." said Kelly.
"Yeah." said Tony.
Malloy threw Liam to the floor again. Liam got back up and brushed himself off.
"You really want to destroy me, don't you?" asked Malloy.
"You attacked my cousin." spat Liam. "For that, you must pay the price."
"Oh, it's one of those revenge deals." said Malloy.
"Oh, you'd better believe it." said Liam. He ran towards Malloy and unleashed both fists and his knee on him. Malloy shrugged it off like it was a slap across the face.
Malloy grabbed Liam, hoisted him up, and threw him across the room.
"You know, this is the room where it happened." said Malloy. "This is where Warfield turned me. She freed me. Now, it's your turn."
"Don't think so." said Liam. He jumped back up and made another rush. This time, he tried to perform a judo throw. Unfortunately, Malloy managed to throw him instead. He ended up trying to scramble back to his feet.
"How do we get this thing out of here if we can't touch it?" asked Kelly.
"You had the right idea earlier." said Tony. "Get Declan to winch it out."
"How do we know he wasn't turned before he took off?" asked Kelly.
"It takes several hours to turn like that." said Tony. "We last saw him maybe half an hour ago."
"Still, it wouldn't hurt to make sure." said Kelly.
"I guess." said Tony. He picked up his radio and said "Declan, can you bring your copter to the window you saw earlier?"
"Hey, I just want to see if he made it." said Declan.
Declan flew the Lynx in front of the window. Tony held up his cross.
"Very funny." said Declan over the radio.
"He's fine." Tony said to Kelly.
Malloy continued to throw Liam around the room. Liam got up onto his hands and knees and tried to catch his breath.
"Why do you resist?" asked Malloy. "You'll be one of us soon. Don't be mean."
Something clicked in Liam's mind. He started to remember some things from a few nights earlier.
"Don't be mean." said Chris. "We don't have to be mean because remember: Wherever you go, there you are."
"You're on a hunt for revenge." said Liam.
"Your team needs all the help it can get." said Carl. "Your methods are soft and ineffective. The fact that you want to help these fiends instead of erradicating them tells me this much."
"Nothing will be gained by rushing into the fray with a head full of rage." said Liam.
"What do you say?" asked Malloy. "Will you submit?"
Liam looked up at him and said "That is the dumbest thing I've heard in my life."
He quickly sprung into a sprint and ran for the room where Tony had gone earlier. "Guys, did you get the statuette?" he yelled.
"We can't touch it!" yelled Tony. "If you touch it, it turns you into a monster!"
"I think we got the winch secured on it!" yelled Kelly. "Declan, take it away!"
Declan flipped a switch on the helicopter's control panel. The winch started to reel in. The statuette was pulled off its pedestal and towards the window.
Malloy ran into the room.
"I hope you liked your workout!" said Liam to Malloy. "But you missed your favorite show!"
"Don't believe it!" said Malloy.
Declan continued to reel in the statuette. Suddenly, Malloy jumped through the windows in the ceiling.
"Doesn't this guy ever give up?" asked Declan. He pulled away from the roof and descended until his guns aimed at Malloy. He pulled the trigger, but Malloy managed to jump over the incoming machine gun fire. The guns only managed to rip apart the structure with the windows.
Liam leaned out of the room and watched debris from the structure. "Get back!" he yelled to Tony and Kelly who were starting to crawl back through the hole. The structure then collapsed completely, filling the room with stone, broken wood, and dust.
"Wow, Declan knows how to party." said Kelly.
Malloy tried to climb up the nose of the Lynx. Declan quickly threw the joystick left and right to throw him off. Malloy managed to climb up onto the nose anyway. Declan pushed the joystick all the way forward and accelerated to 40 miles per hour, then pulled back and brought the helicopter to an abrupt halt. He was unsuccessful in getting Malloy to fall off the nose. However, he was directly over the hole where the window structure used to be.
Liam, Tony, and Kelly looked up at him. Kelly reached down, picked up a piece of stone, and threw it at Malloy. He didn't faze him.
"What now?" asked Kelly.
"I've got an idea." said Liam. He picked up another piece of stone and threw it at Malloy. Malloy caught this one and threw it back at him.
"Make this one count." said Tony as Liam got ready to throw another piece of stone.
"Right." said Liam. He pulled back and threw the stone at Malloy.
Malloy caught this stone as well, but this time, he cringed with pain. He then slipped off of the nose of the Lynx and fell through the hole where the structure used to be. He came to a landing in the pile of debris.
Malloy released the stone he'd caught. Liam had wrapped Tony's cross in it. The three men walked over to him and gave him a look.
"You know that once I heal, we'll continue this." said Malloy.
"Guess we'll just have to prevent that." said Liam. He picked up a broken piece of wood, then drove it into Malloy's chest.
Malloy let out a muffled gasp and tried to pull the makeshift stake from his chest. His final act was a failure.
"Well, I think we can get out of here now." said Liam.
"Are you going to give him last rites?" asked Kelly.
"His soul was lost long ago." said Tony as he picked up his cross.
"Ironic, isn't it?" said Liam. "He died twice in the same room."
"Guys, are you alright?" asked Declan over the radio.
Tony took his radio and said "We're okay. I think we can head for home now."
"I'll meet you outside." said Declan.
"I just thought of something." said Kelly. "How are we going to get the statuette back to the U.S. without risking anyone touching it?"
"I have an idea." said Liam.
AN:Stay tuned. The next chapter has a major battle...or two.