United Nations Building, New York 7:00pm
The halls and corridors of the United Nations Building, and the headquarters of the newly created Ultra Vector taskforce, was quiet and sombre that evening. Outside was a total contrast, buzzing with activity, as Ultra Vector operatives and US Marines patrolled the grounds and nearby streets, the whir of helicopters audible overhead. But inside remained solemn, as the leaders within contemplated what they had done, and what they would need to do, to secure victory.
Whilst the Security Council argued and discussed the next move in the Norwegian Room below, the Secretary General paced the corridors, the European Division leader, General Uberto, at his side and a full squad of Ultra Vector soldiers from the American Division behind, the leader's new personal bodyguard.
Both men had borne witness to the aftermath of the Peles Castle raid, and the subsequent detonation of a tactical nuclear weapon in the town of Sinai, destroying the thousands strong newborn army of the Romanian Coven. And yet, whilist one was almost rejoicing in this new victoiry, the other felt a crushing weight of responsibility.
General Uberto hadn't brought it up until then, as Ultra Vector's de facto leader the Secretary General would not take kindly to those sorts of thoughts. But, as the Secretary General finished talking to one of his aides, Uberto stepped forward and said quietly.
"Sir, I know Sinai was a great victory but…"
"Was it necessary?" the Secretary General finished with a frown. "Of course general. I mean, what was the alternative?"
Uberto sighed. He could still see the live video feed from the retreating Ultra Vector forces, miles away from the town, watching the mushroom cloud blossoming over the horizon. He had been the one to give the go-ahead, the one who had allowed one pilot to condemn over nine thousand people to a fiery death.
The Secretary General suddenly stopped, turning to look Uberto in the eyes, his expression one of sympathy but with a cold edge to it, as if he were somehow ashamed of the general's sorrow.
"Look Uberto, I know what we did may seem awful now, monstrous even, but what would have happened if we had sat back and done nothing? What if that army of crazed vampires had spread? We would have lost thousands, hundreds of thousands to those creatures. Vampirism is a plague general." He added firmly. "And we are the cure."
Uberto looked down, and the Secretary General's expression softened.
"Look, I think we all know you're not fully ready for this post."
Uberto felt his cheeks redden at the thinly veiled insult, but he had to agree. Human enemies he could deal with, but not these monsters, and so he only nodded slightly, and the Secretary General smiled.
"Maybe you would do better helping one of the other divisions start up? There's a post open in the African Division in Johannesburg. They need someone with experience to help train the troops up for their own operations."
"Of course." Uberto conceded. "But who will take over the European Division? I don't think that…"
Already taken care of." Came the reply. "I believe that Captain Staunton, that SAS commander we've heard such glowing reports from, is ready to take over."
The general sighed. The SAS captain may have been a good soldier, but he doubted he was ready for command.
"Sir, I don't know." He said finally. "He's proficient in destroying these things but…"
"But what?" The Secretary General said softly, anger growing in his voice as he continued. "This isn't some sophisticated campaign, general. This is a war of extermination…" he added coldly.
The general nodded. He could see that, whatever he said, he had basically been fired from his job, and that the man before him was actually enjoying it somehow.
"Now, where is the captain at the moment?" The Secretary General said with a smile. "I think the man who took down two of the most powerful vampires in the world should receive this promotion as soon as possible!"
"He's back at his home base in England." The general said slowly. "His leave starts on Monday."
"Perfect! Get someone to visit him and give him his new orders when his leave starts. As for you general…" the Secretary General added dismissively. "Your flight to Cairo is in four hours."
The general was about to turn to leave when he suddenly stopped.
"Cairo? Why not South Africa? I thought this wasn't a combat role?"
"It isn't." came the reply with a slight laugh. "But I figured you would want to witness the destruction of another vampire coven before you started some boring desk job…"
The general was about to leave when a thought struck him.
"Before I go sir, may I just ask one question? Where is this information coming from? What's your source?"
If the Secretary General was annoyed in anyway, he didn't show it, but Uberto detected a subtle sense of anger in the leader's voice as he replied.
"Of course Uberto, I think you should know of our little er…arrangement. Follow me. But remember, what you see isn't exactly public knowledge…"
They ended up in the basements of the Headquarters, a dimly lit warren of whitewashed brick and fluorescent bulbs, through which the Secretary General strolled through, followed by the brooding figure of Uberto.
After a few minutes of staggering through the maze, Uberto stopped, as they came to a plain service lift, guarded by two black uniformed Ultra Vector soldiers, who saluted firmly as the Secretary General and the Italian officer stepped in, their escort waiting outside as the doors closed shut.
When it was just the two of them the Secretary General spoke again.
"Now you will see the true extent of our organisation general. This particular asset has proved most useful in the campaign. Quite ironic considering its previous allegiance…" he added with a smirk, but the general was silent as they continued to descend.
As the lift slowly reached its destination and the doors opened, Uberto felt a sense of awe at what lay before him.
"That definitely wasn't here before…" he said softly, as he saw the vast space up ahead.
The room, about the size of a small aircraft hangar, was packed with people, mainly Ultra Vector soldiers, but also scientists in lab coats and harried technicians lugging heavy cables and wires.
Earning salutes from every man in the room as he passed them, the Secretary General grinned. Uberto noticed the change in the air as the small man walked past. For someone who had previously just been the boring little man at international conferences, the one everyone just looked upon as useless and a bureaucrat ,it must be a real power trip for him to command this much loyalty, Uberto thought with a frown. Although he didn't have to be so open about it.
By now they had reached the middle of the huge space, and the general looked up to see the imposing form of a ten foot thick steel door, over fifty metres long and studded with countless rivets and slabs of armour plating.
"The door above you is reinforced titanium, with diamond alloys and another compound that I am er…not at liberties to discuss with someone without the right clearance…" he added with a grin.
"My God" Uberto thought. "He's loving every second of this."
But he had no time to think any further on the subject when they came into the other half of the room, and the general saw the strange setup they had.
At the centre of the space was a large circular container, covered in countless danger signs and symbols, with a clear glass viewpoint in the middle, about the same size as a man ,but currently misted over by some sort of greyish gas. The floor within ten metres around it was painted bright yellow, with even more warnings and symbols stamped on, whilist dozens of black uniformed soldiers surrounded it, manning heavy weapon emplacements and hefting large flamethrowers.
"What is this?" Uberto demanded, but the Secretary General ignored him, instead speaking to a nervous looking scientist.
"Doctor, is the subject ready for interrogation? I think my friend the general here would appreciate meeting our informant for the first time."
The doctor only nodded and hurried off to a control panel ,whilist a burly Delta Force operative, carrying a huge anti-material rifle over his shoulder,shouted through a megaphone.
"Form up boys! Form up! Interrogation begins now! Weapons hot!"
As the clatter of weapons being readied echoed across the room, Uberto felt his hand going to the Beretta at his hip
"What is in that container sir?" he said, hoping the fear he felt now wasn't obvious to the soldiers around him.
"Why don't we go find out?" the Secretary General said with a smug grin, and began to walk towards the container.
"This…specimen was recovered after the raid at Piacenza-San Damiano Air Base." The old politician explained as they edged closer to the container. "The men who found it thought it dead, mainly because there was a rifle round embedded in its brain. Somehow though, it survived, although much weaker than it once was, and we've kept it relatively docile by withholding blood or sustenance of any kind, and of course a lot of weaponised knock out gas…"
He smiled grimly as they reached the glass viewport, and tapped on the window.
As he did that a figure slowly emerged through the swirling gas, and Uberto felt his blood run cold as Ultra Vector's best kept secret revealed herself.
"Hello boys…" Jane whispered.
Author's Note- Sorry about the late update, real life has been intruding on my writing (Sigh) but hopefully I can get these next chapters up A LOT more often now
Anyway thanks for reading and,as always,if you have any questions,criticisms or just plain old praise,please feel free to review or send me a PM and I will respond as soon as possible...