Chuck vs The Wayward Legionnaire
Chapter 13: The Girl who was Death…
21st January. 2010. Mont Thabor near Valloire, Southern France. 10.00hrs
He yelped in surprise, the snowball came from behind him, it flattened against the back of his head, sending cold powder down the back of his neck as his beret shot off his head, there was a chuckle from behind him, he turned to see the grinning faces of Erik and Philip as they launched a barrage at him. He laughed, looks like his friends hadn't forgiven him for the brief vacation he'd enjoyed at Christmas.
"You assholes!" he shouted, as he bent to gather a handful of snow, the other two men laughed and pelted him further, there was a yell from behind them and they gulped as a furious Caporal from the 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment let them all have it for messing around.
After saying his goodbyes to his sister and Devon and Morgan, Robie and Sean had returned to the Saint Christol base only to be dispatched for Mountain training, the past two weeks had been tough, the icy conditions and frequent snowfall had made climbing exercises difficult, Delon and the training team had returned to base to consider other options.
The men in the unit had enjoyed the skiing though, for some it was a new experience, and they took longer to master the new skill, Chen had been one, Vanderlaan was of course an expert, he took great joy in skiing without poles and showed off as they practised firing on the move. Robie had years of rollerblading and skateboarding, so it wasn't a hard transition.
The bad weather though was a concern, training accidents were not uncommon, some planned events were cancelled due to local avalanches, the instructors were becoming frustrated, they had pored over reports of local powder quality, rock face conditions, by the time Delon returned that afternoon he had decided to move the unit across to the area known as Les Deux Alpes.
The men had loaded up the carriers and had driven to the new training area, as they passed through the small town of La Grave, many eyes watched in wonder, it had been a long time since military personnel had visited, other eyes were not as happy, from the local hostel there was a phone call…
…
In the security office of the Cassini plant, Jorg Goudier cursed his luck, they were less than 48 hours away from operation completion! He rang Stahler, the Russian and his men had finished the work on the way stations, the eighth tank was almost full and now this! He groaned. Stahler picked up, "Who are they?", he demanded.
Standing outside the Waste yard area Stahler had a good view of the deploying soldiers, "Looks like a training exercise, yep, I can see the unit flashes, it's a bunch of recruits from the looks of it, what do you want to do? They could be here for a while."
Jorg considered his options, "Recruits, eh? Watch them, if they go anywhere the Northern slope, they'll see the transfer pipes. I think we may need to organise a "training accident"." Part of the operation had been the uncovering of carefully hidden piping that the tanks needed to transfer their contents to the Russian-European gas grid.
There was no other way, the couplings and extra fittings on the connections had to be done above ground, Site Safety Inspectors would have noticed the work earlier.
Any person with sense would have been astonished at the sight of them stretching out from the side of the mountain that was supposed to be a pristine area of natural beauty. Schiesse, he thought as savagely kicked the wastebasket in his office. After a moments pause, Stahler spoke.
"Ok sir, I'll get a demolitions team set up near them for deployment, Stahler out".
Jorg stared at the CCTV screens, they had moved the hidden cameras around to increase their surveillance, still, he cast his eyes to the ceiling, this damn job! He grabbed his face mask and headed for the carpark, he needed to watch this from the facility control room, another two days and this would have been someone else's problem.
…..
Observing the men on the rock face, Dario Sastre nodded in satisfaction, the better climbers had mastered the skills well, he would work on the rest, Sean Murphy and Damien had wanted to take the newly minted snipers and test their ability in the icy conditions, it was a smart play, ballistics were a whole new ballgame at different altitudes and temperatures.
Luckily Robie and Vanderlaan had qualified early on the slopes, he could release them, Maksym Kovalenko wasn't there yet, he would have to wait another opportunity.
There was a call from Delon, Chen was to report back to base, he wanted to see how he handled coordination from the field with Robie. Sastre sent word, Chen reported, "Oui Sergent!" the Taiwanese grinned, back at base, with a warm room and mess, he all but ran to the carrier.
…..
Sean and Damian consulted the daily weather reports again, "I think here would be a good spot," the Polish Caporal pointed out a location on the mountain, "our shots shouldn't have any impact on the snow crests." Sean took careful note himself; he knew Barczar had a hell of a lot more experience in snow and mountains coming from the highlands of Southern Poland, Ireland didn't see any of that.
"Alright Damian, what's say we get our boys and see what they learnt at Sniper school?"
There was a grin from the other man, "They going to climb to the "Eagle's Nest?" He raised an eyebrow, Sean didn't disappoint, with an evil grin, he replied, "Oh yeah, combat conditions, wouldn't want to be seen as going soft now, would we?" Barczar laughed and went in search of the two men.
Sean wandered over to Sastre and explained the plan, "… so we all meet here at 18:00 hours…", Sastre indicated a location, "Oui, Sergent" answered the Irishman.
"Ok, tenner on the Dutchman!"
Sean laughed, "Ohhh, looks like I'm going to enjoy the drinks in the mess tonight, a LOT of drinks in the mess!" Sastre laughed too, "…you better hope Robie's in good form…"
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Barczar return with the two Legionnaires in question, Robie's face already bore the 'cautious' expression, Vanderlaan had his trademark smile plastered on. Time to erase that, thought Sean.
"Right lads! Seeing as how you have done so well on the training, Caporal Barczar and I have decided to award you two with the glorious opportunity…" There was a brief 'oh no' expression on both men's faces as they wondered what fresh hell had been conjured up.
Sean continued, "…of some high-altitude sniper training!" Robie groaned. "Ah, I thought that would delight you, and as you have expressed such joy, Robie, what are the effects of altitude and cold temperatures on the flight of a Hi-calibre bullet….?"
From behind the men Barczar stifled a laugh, he looked at the mountain behind him, half listening to Sean, he felt the oddest sensation, a foreshadowing, but of what? He shrugged, time for action, he had a call to his wife to make later, sooner they got done, quicker they could head back. He hoped Dario would get the stragglers in shape, as if on cue a screaming Sastre doubled by with the other Groupe members. He grinned, the Legionnaires life, such excitement!
…
For the past few hours, Goudier and Stahler had watched and hoped as the body of men on the lower slopes were moved back and forth, a small group of four had broken off and disappeared from sight, that already worried them. Now they groaned as they watched the men as they formed up and were marched in the direction of the Northern slopes.
Goudier banged his fist on the CCTV console table, "That's all we need, are your people ready?" he looked at Gustav, the other man nodded, "I have them by the crevasse doors, if they place the charges here…" He pointed to a rock face partially snow covered, "…we can take them all in one blow!" Goudier nodded, "Any sign of the others?" referring to the missing four.
"No, we think they're doing something over here…, he pointed to an area higher on the mountain map, …but it actually works out well, if they call it in, it will focus attention on the recovery, nobody will come around to the Northern slopes…" Goudier wasn't happy but even he could see it made sense. "Ok, deploy them." Stahler snapped to attention and exited the room.
Goudier looked at the figures on the screen, sorry my friends he thought, but it appears none of you are coming down alive… He was concerned, he'd have been more concerned if he'd of realised another pair of silvery eyes were also watching the soldiers progress, hungry eyes. In her quarters on her console, she watched the proceedings, the Contessa smiled coldly. Donning a cloak, she headed for the security room…
…
There was a scurry of nervous movement among the group of mountain hares, long ears twitched back and forth as they registered an unusual sound close by, the leader finally had enough of trying to pinpoint the location and with a quick motion of his white furred body ran for some small scrubs near a rocky outcrop. The rest followed.
On his stomach in his white camouflage, Robie crawled forward looking for his enemy, from the distance came a mocking laugh, "Hello Robie, nice to see you, having fun?" He groaned, he'd been spotted, from behind came the voice of Barczar, "Stand up!", he did.
Turning around he saw the caporal smiling at him, he'd been directed to Robie's position by Vanderlaan and Sean, his spotter. His thoughts were dark, caught, again! He had to give it to Erik, he was very good at this, knowing his luck the tall Dutchman had probably been a hunter as a kid, that was 10 points to his 6, game over…
Up on the crest on a small tor, the other two men looked at each other, a ten euro note passed hands from Sean to Erik, "Merci Caporal!" grinned Erik as he slipped it inside his winter tunic. Exasperated, Sean scowled back, "is there anything you're not good at?"
Erik looked thoughtful, then shook his head. "I'll let you know when it happens!" Sean stood up, "come on, we still have some shooting to do…let's see if the Sergent has the men nearby, we can use them as a guide." The younger man put his scope away and joined him.
Down the slope the two NCOs outlined their plan, classic stalk and 'kill', Barczar looked at his watch, "I think they were heading for the Northern slopes; we should be just above them, this way!"
They followed the wild fauna paths, various large animals had been through the area, deer, wolves, they tried to move in their tracks, using the already made trails to obscure their own, their own white suits were perfect, and they moved stealthily.
…
In a small crevasse, there was some other stealthy movement, a pair of cunningly concealed doors had been opened in the rockface and a couple of large men walked out and cautiously approached the exit to the slopes, on a small tripod in a crack in the rocks, a CCTV camera followed their progress, Gustav Stahler watched, he touched his headset, "…below you about 30 degrees to your right…"
There was an acknowledging squelch from his headset. "…over to your left…do you see the outcropping?" A pause and another squelch. "Use the ten-minute timer, that should give you more than enough time to get back inside…"
His headset crackled again, and he watched as the two men checked their equipment, satisfied, they crawled towards the outcropping, Gustav looked at the soldiers below, they'd never know what hit them…
….
"Who's that?", the other three men turned quizzically. "Who's who Robie?" They'd arrived at their destination, a small ridge and were having a rest before continuing with the plan, Robie had decided to check on the disposition of the 'enemy forces'. Taking Sean's binoculars, he had quickly found Sastre hounding the others up the slope. He grinned. Better them than him.
He turned to scout a few shooting locations and he suddenly noticed the two men crawling out the crevasse, his first thought was some other instructors, but the uniforms were wrong, ski instructors? No, that made no sense, he voiced his thoughts…
Damian Barczar walked over, "Who are you talking about Robie?"
Robie pointed and handed the other man the glasses, there was silence as Barczar watched the men, where are they going, he wondered, he scanned ahead, he saw the outcropping, he began to get a bad feeling, "Sean!"
Murphy and Vanderlaan's heads snapped around, the tension in Damian's voice got their attention, they quickly came over, "What is it?" Sean asked.
Barczar passed him the glasses. "Does that look like an ambush to you?" Sean looked in surprise at that, he quickly looked, saw the men, the outcropping and then Sastre and the rest of the section, "fuck me, they're planning to bury them!" He dropped the glasses, they hadn't brought their headsets, only the flare gun.
Looking at Damian, he could see him thinking the same thing, even if they used it, Sastre would only rally straight for them, right through the killing field of an avalanche path and they'd be revealing their own position, no, there was only one thing for it, "Robie, Vanderlaan, deploy your weapons…"
The other men gulped, Barczar raised his eyebrows, kurwa, he thought, it's Africa all over again, only this time, the newly minted sniper duo was going to be Robie and Vanderlaan!
The other two men were still processing, "Get to it! Those assholes are trying to kill your Groupe!" yelled Sean, that snapped them out it, the training took over, they quickly uncovered their two FR-F2 rifles and loaded the magazines.
They took position, Sean and Damian took spotter positions beside each man, Barczar spoke slowly, "Alright, Robie you take the lower man, Vanderlaan the other, control your breathing, this is what you trained for…"
The air above both men was full of plumes of vapour from their nervous exhalations, "Easy lads…easy, take aim…."
…..
Seven hundred metres away the two Fulcrum team members had reached their goal and were laying out the charges, this was a piece of cake, they thought, they placed the explosives. They were in the process of setting the timers when their time on Earth ran out…
…..
"FIRE!"
….
On the CCTV console, Goudier and Stahler watched in amazement as both men's heads exploded in a red mist! "What the FUCK!" screamed the strike force leader, Stahler was desperately cycling though various camera feeds trying to triangulate where the shots came from, suddenly he saw a white clad figure burst out of a snowbank heading straight for the men on the lower slope who were staring up hill in surprise…
….
Dario Sastre had been as stunned as his men when the two shots had boomed out across the slope, what the hell were Barczar and Murphy playing at? It never crossed his mind to consider the two other idiots, he watched as a figure ran out of a snowbank and started running and sliding towards his position.
There was a moan from behind him, "Oh Jesus…!" He spun, one of the Groupe was pointing at something above and behind him, he turned to look on the slopes overhead there was two splashes of crimson against the white snow…what the fuck was going on?
The running man reached him, it was Damian…
…..
Up above, Sean watched as Barczar explained, he looked at the others, white faces, well up to now it had been paper targets and watermelons. Reality was a bitch.
"Breathe lads, breathe. Well done. Legionnaires! Check your weapons!". At the command both men snapped out their fugue, automatically they began to reload a fresh magazine, Sean looked on approvingly, he watched as Sastre and Damian rallied the men, and they jogged back up the hill towards the crevasse.
Smart move, who knew who else was in there, he wondered what the hell was going on, who were those jokers? Why did they try to kill his Groupe? He shook his head; the Gendarmes would have to answer those questions.
"You two provide overwatch on the Groupe, ok?"
The other two had regained colour in their faces, they lay prone again, eyes to their scopes, he watched through his binoculars, moving slowly across the slopes. Who else was out there…?
….
Inside the control room Goudier had his game face on, he had a small garrison in the factory below, the hidden mountain facility had another thirty men on site, the section leaders had been alerted, he awaited their arrival.
On screen he watched in frustration as the French soldiers mustered and headed straight for the crevasse entrance, this would be close.
His internal phone rang, he answered, Stahler was surprised as his boss's face grew redder, he slammed the receiver back in its cradle, "That's all I need!" he reached for his filter mask, Stahler's eyes widened at the implication, he quickly reached for his, fitting it to his face.
There was a knock at the door. She entered the room, that damn creature of hers on her heels. "Greetings Commander!", she smiled and indicating the CCTV screens, continued, "I see we have some guests…"
Goudier really wasn't in the mood for this, whatever it was, "They're about to die, the operation will…" She cut him off.
"Oh no my dear Goudier", her voice rose slightly, "they WILL die, but I want them, all of them…"
Goudier looked at her as if she was mad, "Operational security….", was all he got out, she motioned to the Albino, he walked forward and pushed the chair and Goudier out of the way and sat down at the console. Goudier was a large man, but the Albino handled him like a boy' s action figure. The Contessa joined him, and they watched as the men had entered the crevasse following the trail Goudier's men had left.
The leader, a sergent, walked towards the rock face where the hidden doors lay concealed, he started tapping on the surface.
The Contessa lay a hand on Janos' shoulder, "Deploy the anti-personnel countermeasures."
…
Outside in the small crevasse unbeknownst to Sastre and his men a few small vents opened around them, the air around the openings wavered as they dispensed their payload.
…..
The man in question looked at the ground again and then the rock face, footsteps and then …nothing. He pulled off a glove and touched the rock in front of him. Odd, it felt off… not stone. Behind him his men also studied their surroundings.
"Sergent!" He turned, Barczar and Brun had noticed something in a small crack in the rocks, he walked over, they both pointed, he saw something shiny, his vision blurred for a moment, he wiped his hands over his eyes, there was a crash from behind, Maksym Kovalenko had toppled over.
He shook his head, started to laugh, and then felt his knees buckle….
…..
Still providing overwatch on the small ridge, the other three men waited patiently for some sign from the Groupe, Sean began to feel nervous, something was wrong, standing he said to the other two, "Come on, Erik on me, Robie thirty paces back, keep your eyes open both of you."
"Oui Caporal!" they responded,
They moved down the slope, Sean and Erik watched the entrance closely as they drew nearer, suddenly they saw a pair of legs lying on the ground, breaking into a run they surged into the opening, their shocked eyes took in the tableau.
Robie saw them run but maintained his discipline and kept scanning the area as he approached.
Inside, their chests heaving, they sucked in great gulps of air, running in waist high snow was no fun, both noticed the men around them were still breathing, they relaxed somewhat, it was Erik who succumbed first, weaving slightly he turned to Sean, "Hey…." That was all he managed before they both crumpled…
Robie had entered just in time to see them fall, as he tried to make sense of the situation, he never saw the small door open in the cliff face behind him, it wasn't as large as the other two which now also silently opened to a shocked Robie's surprise. Men emerged.
He started to backpedal, he never saw Gustav Stahler exit behind him, Stahler was momentarily surprised himself, he took in the tall man, then the slung sniper rifle. His eyes narrowed menacingly, he pulled his HK rifle around his body, stepping forward his boots crunched on the powdered snow.
Too late Robie realised he had erred, the footsteps behind him came hard and fast, turning he had just enough time to register a snarling Stahler, a rifle stock came flying at his face, connecting heavily with his nose, the pain dropped him to his knees just in time for the follow up boot to his chin sending him flat on his back unconscious!
Stahler grunted in satisfaction, other strike force members appeared, they all holstered their weapons and began dragging the bodies of the young men into the opening.
Inside they were quickly dragged to a pair of glass walled cells, their uniforms and weaponry were stripped from their bodies, and they were dumped unceremoniously naked on several tables and bunks, some sheets thrown over their unconscious bodies.
Stahler surveyed the scene, he had no idea what that crazy bitch had in mind, but he was posting guards anyway. He nodded at Heide and Schmidt, "Outside, watch the doors, any trouble, kill them…!"
His men grinned and took up position, he headed up to report. The internal CCTV cameras followed his steps.
In the cell area at first there was nothing but the breathing and steady rise and fall of the unconscious men's chests, then a hidden door in the walls opened, as it did the disposition of the men inside changed, their breathing became faster, their skin flushed and they broke out in beatific smiles and sighed deeply, beneath the sheets, their members twitched, hardening…
From the opening two sets of footsteps emerged, one, the tac tac of a woman's heeled shoe, the other the heaviness of a well shod boot.
A white gloved hand caressed the glass walls of the cell as the heavier steps stopped by a keypad and entered a sequence, the door opened silently and the tac tac began again, as the footsteps approached each man, they squirmed on the tables, the breathing became harsher.
There was a pause, the figure of the Contessa contemplated each man that lay before her, they were all in very good shape, some were even more so if the tenting of their sheets were any indication! She licked her lips.
She moved through the room, examining them all, she stopped suddenly, Dario Sastre's hand had fallen from under a sheet that had been placed on his body, her pupils dilated in pleasure, on his third finger was a ring…
She turned and pointed to her servant, beneath his mask Janos smiled, her first…
The giant man stepped forward, pulling the unconscious man up in a fireman's carry he followed his mistress obediently.
Scanning the room again she noticed another ring, she clapped with glee, "he will be next…" It was Damian Barczar. Janos grunted in reply. They made their way back to the opening.
As she closed the hidden door the Contessa noticed something odd, the last man in the room had displayed no reaction to her presence, she paused, his face was a ruin of blood, she walked to an intercom, "Docttore Belloni, there is an injured man in the holding cells with facial injuries, please tend to him immediately."
"Si Contessa, it will be done". The smile returned to her face. Perfect.
It would have been, but as the hidden door closed, John Robie sat up, his head and face hurt, but it was the reaction of his friends that disturbed him, he was not embarrassed by their nudity but their response to that woman's presence surprised and puzzled him.
He walked over to Sean Murphy and gently slapped his face. The grin disappeared, so noticeably did a certain anatomical reaction, he checked the others, same. Their faces had adopted more neutral expressions. He wondered what could induce that sort of thing.
There was a small sink and toilet in the cell, he gingerly washed his face, the cold water cleared his head, he must have escaped the gas he now suspected had taken down his friends.
…
Goudier received the latest report from the scientist team, one more day, he grimaced, pretty soon those soldier boys were going to be contacted by their HQ back at Saint Christol and then the fun would begin, they would have the night, if they were lucky. It was late about 2100hrs, pitch dark outside and snow was falling again, by morning the tracks would be covered in again, hopefully the pipework would also get a covering.
Stahler entered the office, "I set the charges off anyway, if they come, they'll be concentrating their attention there, we'll get the product in the system and then it'll be too late."
Goudier nodded, it was a sound plan, "have the extra armaments prepared, remove any civilians we have remaining offsite, I only want our own people here."
"All the extra armaments?"
"All of them, get the road mines activated too. I want it as difficult as possible to get here, we may need to buy as much time as possible for the operation success."
"Do I leave the usual compliment of men tonight considering our guests?"
"No, there'll be less of them tomorrow, she'll see to that…"
Neither man relished that thought. They were soldiers. Soldiers live for a soldier's death, not to be slaughtered like some livestock at an abattoir.
…..
Back at the 2nd Regiments base, Delon shared a worried look with Philip Chen, they had been trying to raise the Groupe for the past hour on the PR4G Radio, nothing. He looked out the window again, damn snow was falling again, his worst fear was an avalanche, but the indicators had been negative for the area.
He walked to a wall map for the area, "Chen, try the local rescue service, see if they have anybody in the area or any reports of …. anything." he dared not say the words, even to himself.
"Oui Lieutenant". Chen was worried about his friends too, Delon had forbidden mobiles on the exercise, it appeared nobody had risked his wrath, the radio set was the only communications they had. What was going on he wondered, he prayed to the souls of his ancestors to watch over his friends.
…..
Dario Sastre's torment was unimaginably long, the Contessa was surprised, pleasantly surprised, of all those she took, the breaking of a married man was her favourite, to have them denounce their love for their wives filled her with indescribable joy, she was a jealous Goddess, and she would brook no false deities before her.
She enjoyed the moment of surrender even more than the moment she would take their lifeforce having driven them to the heights of ecstasy, their blood at its hottest, brimming with energy for her insatiable hunger.
The last ergs of energy blasted through her, she felt inhumanly alert, acutely sensitive of the colour and texture of everything around her. She felt stronger. Like a goddess in a woman's body. Her forehead touched the bloodied bedspread, and she took deep breaths, still shuddering with pleasure so intense she could hardly bear it.
He had lasted a long time, she wondered would the rest of his men be the same, her loins burned at that thought as the last of his blood dripped down on her, almost unknowingly she licked the blood off knife, the two red ruby eyes of the snake's head handle looked at her almost enviously, she looked at it, shivered and remembered….
….
Her mother was born to wealth, well at least on the surface it seemed so, the trappings were there, her family had been of French nobility, though the class had been officially ended over a century ago with the establishment of the Third Republic, old ways were still a status of sorts in European countries. Years of mismanagement had drained the coffers though, all that remained were the large estates that slowly ate the remains of the once powerful de Roucy family, one by one even they vanished until all the holdings they had left were in the South, far from the bustle of Paris and the favour of the new bourgeois.
The Comtesse Pandora de Roucy was born a delicate child, surrounded by doting parents they shielded her from a harsh world until finally she came of age and so able to perform one more duty for the sake of the family, by then her father had tried a multitude of ventures, each costing more and more, the last holding the perfume factory, but even that was on its last legs, no there was only one thing to be done, marriage for wealth in exchange for position, an old game.
He searched in vain amongst his former class, but who wanted poor? In the end it was a foreign suitor that had seen his daughter as they had attended a trade show in Paris, the young Alfredo Pacelli had been immediately taken with the beautiful French woman.
Born to a business family that had worked hard to attain their wealth, he was a rarity among his family, he was the genius that his father had wished his older sons could have been, fine, strapping young men, but no brains, Alfredo was of slender build, bookish, delicate featured and above all a romantic.
He pursued Pandora with abandon, he named perfumes after her, he spent a fortune to take her from her family and even more to build an empire worthy of her. He bought an expensive estate in Turin, a sprawling affair, the mirror of the former de Roucy estate in Bordeaux.
Their marriage joined not only their houses but also their businesses, they renamed the company Cassini to escape the names of both their families. It was to be their perfect life.
Alas, it was not to be, the Comtesse harboured a family illness, it lay undetected for years, but her pregnancy took a toll on her body, she perished after a difficult labour giving birth to their daughter Aurora, crying Alfredo left his dead wife's side, he held his new-born to the light of the rising sun, she was aptly named, Aurora, Latin for "Dawn", also the name of the Roman goddess of sunrise who's tears turned into the morning dew, just like the tears that ran down his face that morning as he held his child aloft.
With the loss of his wife, he threw himself into his work, establishing the Cassini name as one of the premier cosmetic brands in the world, his quest to make the most alluring perfumes in existence, trapping himself in his greenhouse he cultivated many exotic flowers, extracting their essences and blending them into exciting products, one flower eluded him though.
It had come to his former wife's family by way of their exploration in the new world, a botanist had been dispatched with one of their expeditions to the ruins of the former Mayan empire in the Southern Mexican wastes, there they discovered many new types of flowers, but around the ruins of an old temple they found an old Shaman who told them of the Orquidea u k'I'ik'el, the Blood Orchid. He told them of the legend but neglected to mention the warnings.
It wouldn't have mattered.
The young botanist had excitedly rampaged through the jungles until he found the flowering plant, he never noticed his fever until it was too late, her family took his seed sample collection, and in the greenhouses of the Turin estate, Alfredo cultivated the latest addition, it was a difficult plant to grow, it never bloomed, in vain he imported soil and nutrients from South America nothing worked. Eventually he turned his attention to other possibilities. But every year he would plant the seeds hoping nature would find a way science could not.
In the meanwhile, his own flower had bloomed, the young Aurora had proven to be a hardier specimen than her mother, the combination of the bloodlines wiped out whatever genetic ticks that had plagued the Comtesse. She grew strong and healthy.
It didn't matter to Alfredo, his own delicate psyche had been shorn by his loss, he would take no chances with his daughter, her education was private, her world almost exclusively his, side by side father and daughter worked and educated each other, eventually it was the wife of his business manager Enzo Altera, the socially conscious Cosima, who on the young girl's appearance at a business meeting advised the older man it was unhealthy and unnatural.
"Signore! "She implored the man, "she must learn to move in the world, such a girl must be educated in the finest schools of Europe with her peers! How else can she find a man and a place in polite society! MIO DIO!"
Enzo tried his best to silence his wife, but she would not be denied, and so Aurora found herself attending boarding school in Switzerland, she hated it, the subjects were fine, but she was a loner and amongst more worldly girls she floundered.
She managed to keep herself isolated by concentrating on her education, she had inherited her father's genius, as an only child she had quickly learnt that the family business was of the utmost importance, and she poured herself into her studies, boys, music, and other trivialities were not for her. Which was a shame, because when puberty arrived, it arrived hard, her mother's famed beauty reached a new potential in her daughter's visage.
She returned home during the Summer and Winter breaks to the Turin estate eager to use her newfound knowledge, in her absence there was a surprise, a young boy and his family escaping the former Communist regime in Hungary had fled to Italy, hired by her father, Otto Somogyi and his young wife Kata and their son Janos has taken on various roles in the family home, Otto and his son tended the estate grounds and Kata cooked and maintained the great house.
The young boy was unfortunately marked by nature, his obvious condition was ignored on the private estate, soon he lived by himself in a small hut near the gardens he tended, it was almost as if his parents were ashamed to be associated with him, the father was particularly brutal, all mistakes were heavily punished and the boy grew to hate the man, in private moments he released that hatred in the merciless torture and killing of his parents pets, his soul darked.
On seeing the young girl, the young boy was immediately fascinated, he became her only companion, and he followed her like an obedient puppy, in awe of her flowering beauty. He missed her when she returned to school and his father, worried for the possible trouble their liaison might cause, punished his son further.
The boy grew tall and sturdy though, his work in the gardens gave him a generous build, and soon he towered over his parents. But nothing was as big as his resentment of them, his appetites grew…. dark and twisted. He moved on to other prey.
At the age of nineteen the mistress of the house received shocking news, her beloved father had succumbed to a heart attack and died in his sleep, Enzo Altera moved fast, he had loved his employer and used his skill to secure the family business holdings, he scorned the many buyout offers he received from their competitors, he placed all his faith and the hopes of his employees on the emerging talents of his new employer, Contessa Aurora Pacelli, behind him his wife grinned, she would play her part and 'assist' the young woman in the ways of Italian society.
For Aurora it was no less than the destruction of her world, jetting back from Bern she had rushed to her father's side, seeing him lying there tore something inside her. A small crack in her own psyche developed, death had once again taken someone important from her, she needed to safeguard herself. But how?
She spent the night wandering the house alone, thinking, Otto and his wife had returned to Hungary while she was away, their son had stayed, and it was to his quarters she felt herself drawn to that moonlit night.
The air was still and as she wandered through the gardens she could see a lone light shining in the window of the hut, she had arrived in such a hurry she hadn't seen the changes to the gardens, as she neared she stopped in amazement, there in the moonlight were the most beautiful flowers she had ever seen, tall, with a large blood red bloom, finally the Orchids had flowered, she stopped beside the two new flowerbeds.
Reaching out with shaky fingers she caressed the stalks, they felt oddly like warm skin, she leaned forward towards the open flowers, the scent was …. mind-blowing…she felt her senses expanding the colours of the garden became almost iridescent, sounds and smells magnified, she startled as she heard soft whimpering from Janos's hut.
Unbidden her feet drew her to the hut, when she opened the door, she opened a door in her already fractured mind, inside a naked Janos slowly plunged a long knife into the body of a bound and gagged woman, she was pretty, yet her clothes spoke of one of the many street walkers that she sometimes saw on her way to the company headquarters in Turin. Her eyes screamed at Aurora.
Janos spun, the dripping blade in his hands, his face a mask of surprise, in the moon light the blood of the woman appeared black, Aurora was drawn further into the room, something was building inside her, she stopped beside Janos who looked at her curiously. She took the blade and stepping forward drew it slowly across the throat of the wide-eyed woman, she choked beneath her gag,
The rush when it hit Aurora nearly knocked her down, Janos grabbed her but the snap of energy that shot through her body pushed her back against him, it was her first ever orgasm, although she didn't realise that at the time, returning to reality she noticed Janos, his eyes seemed glassy, he opened his mouth, "the blood, the blood is the life!" His voice sounded slurred, but she understood, just before she blacked out, she realised, outside beside the two flowerbeds there was a third hole. Two flowerbeds…his parents…
The old Mayan shaman would have told them, the blood orchid was aptly named, growing as it did in the grounds of the temples, the sacrifices to the Mayan Blood God had soaked the earth providing a new form of nourishment for the plant, in return it flourished, it thrived and adapted to its circumstances soon it's petals released a scent that inflamed a civilization, thousands died during the flowering season feeding the hungry plants, the blood flowed down from the altars like rain.
It took the male shamans many years to counter the effects, they were helped in the end by the invasion of Europeans and disease. The flowers adapted again emitting a strong pheromone that attracted the unwary traveller and jungle fauna, trapping them in a miasma of bliss, lying down in the jungle like the old opium addicts of Asia, the plants once again enjoyed their favourite food.
Natives soon learned to avoid the areas where the plants grew, but over time the native women who seemed to be less prone to the effects, had learned to cultivate its flowers and applied sparingly it acted as an aid to their sexual habits. No man could resist a woman who wore the perfume of the blood orchid. But madness followed those who over indulged and displeased the ancient gods… the madness of the bloodlust…
When she awoke in the morning, she found herself back in her room lying on her bed, her head felt heavy, like she had been drinking, a pastime she usually ignored. There was something ….
The events of the previous night were a blur, she frowned, she had been outside, her soaking shoes were proof of that. Then what? It was a haze. She jumped as her phone rang, it was Enzo, the funeral arrangements were set, the next few days passed quickly, the burial and then the placing of the business in the hands of Enzo to run until Aurora became of age.
In the gardens Janos waited for the Carabinieri to arrive, he was sure he was done for. When he learned, the Contessa had returned to Switzerland to finish her studies, he was relieved and puzzled as he fell back on his duties, in her absence the flowerbeds grew as did the orchids…
In the years that followed the Contessa earned her degrees in many sciences, but always the sensation that something important had occurred that night plagued her thoughts, finally the day came when she returned to take control of the family business.
Cosima had been waiting for the opportunity to introduce her husband's new charge to the cream of Italian society, already the pictures of the fully grown Contessa were circulating in the usual social rags. Speculation on a possible suitor was the rage in Turin, Cosima relished her self-appointed assignment. The girl was hard to prise loose from her work though, on her return to her estate she rediscovered the blooming orchids and this time had Janos collect the flowers for her to study.
In her laboratories she worked hard to find a new product to invigorate the company range, but Cosima was a fly in her ear, constantly arranging parties and invitations to social events, out of respect for Enzo's work she tried hard to please his wife, but years of studying had left her with no social skills at all, men bored her, their constant preening, it was all so annoying, there were times she mused she could happily kill them all, a thought that oddly excited her.
Still, she felt obliged to go, in truth it was also an excuse to trial some of her efforts in the lab, she packed her purse with sample vials and watched with scientific interest the effects they had on her suitors. It was a mixed bag at first, too much they sat there and swooned, like pretty dummies, too little and their boyish antics annoyed her, buzzing around her like bees around a flower.
Unfortunately, her aloofness was costing her dates, soon even her beauty couldn't compete with the more experienced women who understood male needs, at parties she was shunned, with no social awareness it didn't upset her at all, but she was annoyed that her testing grounds were drying up, the scientist in her wasn't deterred, if the upper echelons of society were ignoring her, she would cast a wider net.
She decided to hit the nightclub scene and then her troubles started, this was a much less regulatedworld and there she caught the eye of the wrong kind of man, handsome but psychotic the scion of a wealthy drug lord, Mario Scarpetti, he was known by a different name on the street, Il Serpente, one that aroused fear, especially amongst the bought prostitutes.
Any of them that displeased him in any way earned a sharp lesson from his favourite toy, the toy that leant him his name, a razor-sharp stiletto with a snake's head handle, the gaping fanged mouth and unsettling red ruby eyes. There on the streets, he indulged his whims, all of them, there were no reprisals, his father's money kept the Carabinieri quiet, violence the rest.
He was entranced by the vision of loveliness that wandered through the Turin club scene, he should have paid more attention to the lesson he had learned himself, good looks hide many flaws, but she was beautiful. He had to have her.
For the stunning but socially inept Contessa it was an onslaught of charm she was unprepared for, clutching her purse she allowed herself to be escorted back to a villa his associates owned in the Turin suburbs. Janos had been on alert from the moment he saw the young man, a predator knows a predator, but the Contessa had ridden in Scarpetti's Lamborghini, there was no chance to warn her. He dutifully followed in the Maserati.
On reaching the Villa it was a very different Mario who introduced himself to the Contessa, alone with her, the pretence of charm faded, and his lust overtook him, she tried to leave but a heavy backhand sent her to the floor, he drew his knife…she screamed.
Janos went into action, the two bodyguards were no match for his brutish strength, he drew his own blade and with a swift movement pierced the heart of the first, the second had time to draw his gun before he was pinned to a wall. Lifted off his feet as his head had rotated through 180 degrees, his lifeless body fell beside his companions before he'd even drawn his last breath.
Janos sprinted into the house fearing the worst, above there was the sound of a door slamming, he followed the sound to the first floor, he saw a fallen vase outside one door and charged.
….
Inside the Contessa was thrown on a bed as Mario tore her dress from her body, stopping to admire the view he took his own clothes off, the Contessa in a vain attempt to preserve her dignity grabbed her purse to hide behind, Mario laughed and grabbed it from her, throwing it on the floor, it was his last mistake, inside the vials shattered and their contents mixing together produced a scent that stopped the young man in his tracks.
His face slackened, his eyes became vacant, he moaned softly, his hands fell to his sides, the stiletto fell harmlessly from his hand to the floor.
On the bed watching the transformation, something snapped inside the Contessa, as the heady scent filled the air she remembered, she remembered the night in the hut, she remembered the sensation as the blood spilled on her, she was suddenly hungry to experience that again.
Stepping forward she picked the blade from the floor and as Janos came splintering through the room door, she slit the swaying Mario's throat from ear to ear. This time the experience was even more profound than the hut, she burned in ecstasy.
The energy coursed through her, she felt reborn, moaning she felt back on the bed. Janos felt his head begin to swim as he entered the room, though the years of living next to the orchid beds had given him a tolerance to their effects, the concentrated scent still knocked him to his knees, he found an ensuite restroom and wetting a facecloth he wrapped it around his face, it helped.
Looking at Janos, the Contessa reached for her clothing, she spied her purse and saw the broken vials, she had her first epiphany of the night, she grabbed a pillowcase from the bed and wrapped the remains in it, Janos pulled the sheets from the bed and wrapped Mario's body, hoisting the corpse up, he went to the car and placed the three bodies in the generous boot space.
He re-joined the Contessa who had opened the room window, the scent had dissipated, he quickly wiped the floor down with some towels, throwing them in a plastic bag, they left.
She was still buzzing with energy, as they neared the industrial area she demanded to be taken to her laboratory, surprised but obedient, Janos complied, there she had her second epiphany of the night, by the time her staff joined her in the morning she had managed to duplicate the combination of vials and diluting the effects, produced her first success, Secretions Magnifique, Magnificent Secretions.
Janos returned to the villa; the blood orchids enjoyed their latest meal. There was a minor crimewave from Mario's father who suspected the disappearance of his son had been down to a rival, it kept the Carabinieri busy for a while too.
Enzo Altera was delighted, his faith had been rewarded, the new product was a best seller, the house of Cassini was on the rise again, and the Contessa kept them coming. But she kept her miracle that night for herself, her own special perfume…
Her life became days of discovery and her nights…her nights became hunts…. In the back alleys and lonely country roads around Turin, in blood and slashing steel, the legend of il Serpente grew again…
…
May. 2004. Paris, France.
The Fulcrum project manager was deeply worried, his assignment was still incomplete, he hadn't found a means to mass produce the weapon that the Leader had boasted would help them achieve their goal, the covert takeover of the United States, their infiltration of the US intelligence Community had been quietly gaining momentum, they already had made significant inroads into the industry/military sector as well. Roark had been instrumental there.
The addition of their new partners The Ring had reminded them they would need to nullify the allies of the US, in particular the European NATO, with them in disarray, they could achieve this goal unimpeded, they needed a disaster or the threat of one to hold Europe at bay.
One of their chief scientists Jill Roberts had identified a unique compound, now all they needed was a means to mass produce it, this was his project, they could easily build a factory, but that meant regulations, inspections, no, it was far easier to convert an existing premises to their needs, a list was drawn up, they needed access to the Russian/ European gas network for dispersal, a few locations caught his eye.
He considered the candidates, most were dynastical, too many to arrange 'accidents' for, he thought about asking Roark to initiate a hostile takeover of several but that would raise many questions and publicity was something they didn't want, in the end he remembered they were spies, extortion had always been a weapon spies employed, nobody liked their secrets revealed and the rich always had more than most. He dispatched surveillance teams on his prime candidates.
At first it was the usual predictable nonsense, affairs, substance abuse, but in Italy, Italy had proven fruitful. He read the surveillance reports with glee, he grabbed his phone, this would need the heavy hitters.
…...
When the photos arrived by courier the Contessa was surprised, she had learned well from her first kills and was highly intelligent, she needed her fix and she needed to perform it in private, she had been careful, or so she thought, the glossy 10x8 prints on her desk convinced her otherwise, she was not worried though.
Whoever they were, they hadn't exposed her, they had suggested a meeting, ergo she had something they wanted, she responded to the invitation by suggesting they use her estate, they agreed, she smiled, however it was not going to go the way she thought it was…
…..
Her first inkling that her plans were about to go awry was the number of vehicles that showed up on her property, five cars in total, as well as her expected guests there was also a total of ten heavily armed professional looking men, they wore headsets and four followed the other five people inside.
Janos had looked nervously at the Contessa, but she walked her guests through to her study. They would have to improvise. That plan died almost immediately, as soon as the four men and woman entered the room, they bend down to the cases they carried and took out face masks, the room had been filled with orchids.
"Buongiorno Contessa, please indulge our little precautions, we have a lot to discuss, and we wouldn't want any misunderstandings…"
The speaker introduced the group, He was Leader, the woman was a scientist called Jill Roberts, the other was the project leader David Mills, Ted Roark needed no introduction as he leered at her and finally a man referred to only as The Director.
She watched as the six men outside marched Janos in, one of them pushed him to his knees, they all pointed their weapons at his head. The bald moustached man spoke again.
"We are in control here, we could take what we want, as you have seen, ", he threw more pictures on her desk, "We have been following you for a while, that makes eight, we also used our … eh…contacts to establish that there has been at least double that in missing persons, all young men, you have a type…"
Janos's eyes grew large, but still she showed no emotion, she steepled her fingers in front of her face, "What do you want?"
There was a surprised look from Leader, Mills and Roberts, a pleased chuckle came from Roark, "I like her, she's…direct" The Director also smiled appreciatively, "You have a facility in Southern France, near Les Deux Alpes, we wish to …use its production facilities for a little product of ours."
"In exchange for which you'll hide my little indiscretions…?"
"Yes." Replied The Director.
"What if I have more…indiscretions…"
Roark laughed, "Now I REALLY like her!". Roberts looked ill, Mills and Leader sat with fixed expressions, the real leaders were negotiating, they were merely onlookers.
"I don't care what you do, hell, we'll even help you in that regard, as long as you help us…"
"What is this help you need? Perhaps I can be of more service if I understood the nature of your requirements…"
The Director thought for a moment, "Dr. Roberts, could you explain…?"
Jill Roberts stood and from a briefcase she took a laptop, opening a file she showed the Contessa a chemical formula and explained, the Contessa's eyes raised in admiration, "Molto bene, although this formula can be enhanced further, right now you're only targeting foodstuffs, this could be altered for livestock too…"
Jill Roberts looked stunned, "How…?" The Contessa smiled, "Well that will cost you… are you interested?" They were. Very.
Later as they left, she reflected on their plan, what they had proposed stunned her. The scale of it. She would need to make changes to her company though…
The following morning Enzo discovered his key card no longer let him access the Turin factory grounds, puzzled he walked to the security office, a member of HR awaited him. She explained.
Red-faced he was marched to his car by security, puzzled workers watched in surprise, arriving home he immediately tried to contact Aurora, but all her numbers were changed, his emails blocked, his attempts to see her at the villa were thwarted by the new security that threatened him if he didn't move on. Access denied.
Finally, he contacted his lawyer, claiming unfair dismissal he threatened court action, within a week his lawyer contacted him to say a letter from his former employer had been received along with a bank draft with a generous settlement, in the lawyers view, they could do no better, frustrated he signed his agreement and banked the draft, the Turin business community tsked, but who could argue with the Contessa? It was her company.
Things moved forward fast after that, the local management at the Cassini plant were generously paid off, rumours abounded of a new partner with deep pockets, the townsfolk of La Grave suffered a few layoffs, in the grounds of the factory a new extension popped up, new employees were not local, they kept to themselves, and only they worked in Annex 2. It was a front for the mountain operation.
The work went on for quite some time, even the workers were puzzled, had they been fortunate enough to see into the new waste facility their questions would have been answered, but the new security company were a law until themselves, the brutish Chief of Security Goudier was unapproachable to them, and the new management quickly removed any overly curious staff.
Gradually the factory returned to some kind of normalcy. The arrival of the Contessa assured the remainder of their employment and in the end that was all they cared about.
In the mountain though, other projects proceeded, less desirable products were fashioned, products that would change nations….
Meanwhile, the Contessa fed well, exceptionally well… France proved to be a new hunting ground…
…..
Belloni walked to the end of the corridor, the two guards stood imperiously before him, "where do you think you're going?" Asked the taller Heide, Schmidt snickered beside him, Belloni was a doctor not a fighter, he rubbed a nervous hand over his hair. "The Contessa asked me to check on a prisoner."
At the mention of the woman, both men stiffened, scowls appeared, "We heard nothing from Goudier."
Belloni shrugged, "be that as it may, she is the Director of this facility and she instructed me, perhaps I should ask her to come…."
Both men glanced at each other, "No…" Heide rushed out, "…I'll check it out" He walked down the corridor. Schmidt eyed the doctor again, "be quick about it, any problems, call me." Belloni nodded "I will, gratzie!" As he entered the cell block, he could hear the other man behind him muttering, "…waste of time…. all dead men anyway…." The door closed.
Down the end of the room Belloni noticed one of the men was facing the cell wall, he could see no injuries on the others, he assumed that was his patient.
Taking his key card he waved it across the door pad, it opened, and he entered, it was an eerie feeling surrounded by the men, he was glad the gas was still in effect, he reached the bed, turning the man over he immediately saw the issue, a broken nose.
"Allora, Mio amico, it's a lot worse than it looks, painful but not serious…", he patted the man on the chest as he opened his medical kit, gasping suddenly, he was completely surprised by the vicelike grip that encircled his wrist, looking up he saw the man's eyes had opened and were glancing around the doctor at the door.
He opened his mouth to yell, but the stranger's other fist came rocketing from beneath the blanket and hit him square on the side of his jaw, instant KO. He crumpled to the floor.
Robie shook his head as a wave of dizziness swept over him, he'd dived back into the bunk as soon as he heard the commotion at the door, when the other man entered the cell, he held his breath, he didn't fancy seeing the giant Albino again.
When he realised the situation, he recognised it for what it was, a chance to find Sastre and more importantly escape!
He looked at his nakedness, quickly he stripped the other man of his uniform, luckily there was a bit of stretch in the fabric, it was a few sizes too small but better than nothing, the boots were useless. Letting himself out of the cell, he snuck quietly to the outer door. Hearing nothing, he looked around for anything he could use, on the wall was a CO2 fire extinguisher, he smiled…
Outside, Schmidt was just relaxing again when there was a loud crash inside the room, drawing his sidearm he opened the door and ran in. He was engulfed by a cold white cloud, the door shut behind him and he was painfully aware of his fast breathing, he slowly walked forward.
There was a gasp ahead of him as if someone had stepped on something….
A flag, a uniform, soldiers marching,
Fulcrum, Johann Schmidt, 31, Rank: Jager, GSG9: Panther Unit
presumed deceased. KIA Afghanistan 2005.
He eyed the corner where the noise had come from.
The flying gas cylinder that came hurtling out of nothingness was a complete shock to him, it connected powerfully with his forehead, and he joined the doctor in the land of unconsciousness as his body hit the ground.
Robie appeared out of the gloom, he shook his head, that had been a surprise! FULCRUM! He sized up the man beneath him, that's a lot closer as a fit he thought…
In a few minutes he had stripped the guard, luckily the boots Schmidt wore were a half size too big, but Robie wasn't complaining, he picked up the facemask, puzzled, he examined it, what was this for he wondered.
No matter, it would serve him well, he slipped it on, with a last look around the room at his still unconscious friends, he summoned his courage, time to find out what they stumbled into, what the hell did Fulcrum have to do with this….?