Coalition of the Damned - 03 (4 page)

“I can understand, sir. But I’m sure that they filled you in to the reality of the situation?”

“Oh, yes. Quite so.” He sat back in his chair and eyed Matt. “Might I inquire as to your visit? I doubt you came all the way here just to welcome the new guy to your Oversight Commi
ttee?”

“Hardly, Senator,” Matt said, sitting up straighter in his chair. “I came here to see if I could convince you and the rest of the OC to pull your political strings for me, sir.” He cleared his throat. “I need a military base.”

Dr. Coburn’s eyes widened slightly. “You need an
entire
base, Colonel? What are we supposed to do with the rest of Tinker?” he asked.

“No, sir. Not Tinker.” Matt averted his eyes. “This base will be much tougher to get.”

Senator Coburn didn’t like the sounds of this, but he was willing to listen. “Shall I try to get the rest of the Oversight Committee in here?”

“They’re unavailable, sir.” Matt slipped him a cheesy grin. “I already checked. You may be the newest member, but you’re the only one who’s actually at work today.”

Dr. Coburn actually chuckled at that one and nodded at him. “Carry on then, soldier. Hit me with it. What do you need? I can’t guarantee anything, but I can promise to do my best.”

Matt laid out the situation to the good Doctor, explaining the threat from the Sicarii, the intelligence gathered and the pr
oposed fighting force. He explained the plan to try to concentrate their forces in the desert in hopes that it would draw the Sicarii and his forces there as well, rather than try to coordinate numerous battles all across the globe, all in an effort to lower civilian casualties. The key was getting access to and control of the Groom Lake base.

To his credit, Senator Coburn listened intently and didn’t i
nterrupt. He didn’t question the method to the madness, and in the end, he understood the gist of it all. “You do realize that the odds of us being able to get you that base is next to zero, right?” Dr. Coburn insisted. “To start with, that base doesn’t officially exist. I mean, you and I both know that it’s out there and they do all sorts of top secret projects there, but the kind of horsepower that it will take to get that base commander to simply hand over the keys?” He paused and let his question sink in. “Would you?”

Matt shook his head. “Not willingly, sir. That’s why I came here. Whoever that base commander is, he’ll have to be forced. But again, it doesn’t have to be a complete takeover, Senator. We just need to borrow his base—”

“To wage a
war
, Colonel!” The Senator interrupted. “With
vampires
, no less!” He lowered his voice, but still stressed the unbelievable enemy they faced.

“Senator, we have a few aces up our sleeve.”

“You’d better have a deck full of aces from what you’ve told me,” he quipped. “Look, Colonel…I’ll take your proposal to the Oversight Committee and run it up the flagpole and see who salutes it. If there is anybody on there that has that kind of pull with the Pentagon and can get it done, then it WILL be done.” He sat back and pulled his glasses off, “But, Colonel, I wouldn’t hold my breath if I were you. I’d be looking for a ‘Plan B’ and trying to figure out another strategy.”

Matt exhaled slowly and shook his head. “Senator, this all we have. We either bait these bloodsuckers out to the desert and toast their leader, or we
all
die as a Vampire Lunchable. There is no ‘Plan B’.”

Dr. Coburn studied Matt and realized that he, at least, b
elieved every word that he was reporting. “There are no other options?”

“Senator, this Sicarii is the
first
vampire. He is so old that Mr. Thorn says even silver won’t kill him. A stake through the heart won’t slow him down. Hell, chopping his head off would probably just give him a slight headache. The
only
way to kill him will be with sunlight, and he isn’t stupid enough to come at us in the daylight. We have to bait him out in the open and toast him with the satellite.”

“What’s to prevent this guy from just sending his army? He could stay wherever he is and watch from afar?”

“He fancies himself a leader. Leaders lead, they don’t sit back and watch from a distance,” Matt responded. “No, sir. He’ll be at the head of the pack.”

Dr. Coburn nodded and stood up. “I’ll do whatever I can, Colonel. Again, I can’t promise you anything, but I’ll spur the Oversight Committee to twist whatever arms at the Pentagon to make it happen.”

“You have no idea how much I appreciate it, Senator.” Matt said standing and shaking his hand.

“I believe I have an idea, son.”

*****

First Squad touched down on the north end of Quebec near the Newfoundland border and dispersed into the woods su
rrounding Mount Caubvick. As the team worked their way into the foothills of the mountain, they looked for signs of the Elven People. The signs were hard to spot, and even to experienced hunters are often mistaken for animal markings. When Ing Jacobs reported a clearing near a brook, Jack ordered the team to make camp and prepare to wait until dark.

Tufo set up a perimeter with infrared cameras and motion detectors and Lamb broke out the black light gear. The Elven People would often mark their areas with a special dye made of lichen that would glow under black light and was invisible to humans. Somehow, it was always visible to the elves. The squad had reports that the Greater Elven People had taken up residence at the base of this mountain and he hoped to find them and r
ecruit them to their cause. If he couldn’t find the Greater Elves, then maybe he could find a lesser elf that could point him in the right direction.

As night slowly crept upon them the team began to notice sounds that didn’t normally occur in the woods. Gunnery Se
rgeant Tufo fired up the infrared monitors and checked for movement. Other than a few small animals, the perimeter was clear. He glanced up at Chief Thompson and slowly shook his head. Jack stepped to the outer edge of the campsite where the glow of the campfire was lowest and stood on an outcropping of rock. He allowed his vision to grow accustom to the low level of light and peered out into the edge of the woods. He thought he saw eyes staring back at him.

Chief Thompson fished in his shirt pocket and withdrew a small wooden whistle that resembled a reed flute. Most humans couldn’t hear the high pitch that the whistle resonated at when blown, but the augmentation that the Monster Squad underwent allowed them to hear the high shrill as it cut through the thin, cold mountain air. Jack noted many more eyes appeared along the edge of the tree line at differing heights within the unde
rbrush. He stood a moment longer on the top of the rock and stared out along the perimeter.

“They won’t come to you, human,” a rough, gravelly voice said from below the rock.

Jack was startled as he hadn’t heard the visitor approach. He looked down in the decreasing light and saw a rock gnome sitting below him packing a small carved pipe. His clothes appeared tattered but intact and his heavy boots were covered in many layers of dried dirt and mud. Although it appeared as though the gnome had just dug his way from underground, his hair and skin appeared to be clean. His beard was trimmed short and almost white with grey whiskers.

“Do they fear us?” Jack asked calmly.

“They fear the scent of your wolf,” the gnome replied. “Lesser Elves be these and the moon is nigh. They fear being munched as a late night snack.” He grinned up at Jack, his blue eyes twinkling in the twilight. He pulled a wooden match across the seat of his pants and puffed at his long-stemmed pipe.

Jack stepped off of the rock and landed deftly next to the small gnome. He knew that gnomes weren’t known for being forthcoming by nature and wondered why this one was willing to clue him in. “I’m Jack Thompson. My men and I are looking for the Greater Elves.” He settled in next to the gnome. Jack was trying to find a seat that would put him more at eye level with the little gnome.

The gnome took his time puffing at his pipe, getting the bowl to glow cherry red before he pulled hard and inhaled. The breeze shifted and Jack smelled the sweet aroma of cherry, apple blossoms and tobacco. The little gnome sat next to Jack and scratched at his beard, as if in deep thought. “I’m not exactly sure where the Greats went,” he said after a moment. The gnome kept staring out at the tree line and the growing number of eyes peering back at them. “But I’d bet they’d know.” He pointed at the Lesser Elves in the scrub brush.

“But they won’t speak with me because they can smell the wolf on us.”

“Ah yup.”

Jack sat there with the gnome for a long while, silently watching as more and more sets of eyes reflected the campfire light. After some time Jack’s earpiece crackled and Tufo’s voice whispered into it, “Chief, we have
way
too much small animal activity on the perimeter for it to be small game. I think we have Lesser Elves out there.”

“That’s affirmative, Gunny,” Jack whispered into his lip mic.

The little gnome looked up at him questioningly. “One of yours?”

“Yes, sir.” Then Jack’s eyes lit up. “And he’s not a wolf…do you think they would speak with him?”

The little gnome sat quietly for a very long time. So long, in fact that Jack wondered if perhaps he had forgotten the question or might not have heard him. Finally, the little gnome pointed to the tree line with his pipe and poked toward the numerous sets of eyes. “It wouldn’t hurt to try.”

Jack sat up and keyed his mic. “Gunny, converge on my l
ocation. Solo.”

“Copy that,” came the reply.

Within a few moments Tufo was standing over Jack and the small gnome on the outcropping of rocks above. “Down here, Mark,” Jack called.

Tufo looked down and saw the gnome next to Jack and acknowledged him with a, “Sir.”

The little gnome waved his pipe in return, “Hunter.”

Jack stood and waved Mark down to the ground with him. Tufo jumped down and they stepped away a moment. “I need you to go to the tree line and see if you can make contact with the Lesser Elves. See if they can tell you where the Greater Elves are.”

“Me? You’re the Team Leader. I thought that—”

“Mark,” Jack interrupted, “they won’t allow me or any of the other team members over there. You have to do it.”

Tufo gave the chief a confused look and shrugged. “Okay…”

“Look, go find out what you can about the Greater Elves. See if they’ll disclose their location. If they need to know why…I guess tell them the truth. We have nothing to hide. Hopefully they’ll understand. But I need you to do this. Act as our ambassador.” Jack could tell that Tufo was totally confused. “When you get back, I’ll explain everything. I promise.”

Tufo acknowledged and took off across the clearing toward the tree line. Jack watched as some of the eyes withdrew into the scrub, but most stayed put. Tufo stopped part way and turned back toward Jack for a moment. He slung his rifle back over his shoulder and showed his hands empty to the eyes in the trees and advanced more slowly. Jack noticed that the remaining eyes didn’t leave as Tufo continued forward. Jack strained his hearing as he listened for any sounds.

He heard Mark ask as he approached, “Who’s in charge over here?”  He stopped a few feet short of the tree line and waited. “We just have some questions that we really need a
nswered.”  He waited a little longer, then added, “Please? We mean no harm.”

Jack watched with the gnome still standing by his side and he felt a slight tug on his pant leg. “This may take a while,” the gnome said. Jack looked down at the gnome and nodded.

Jack keyed his mic and informed Tufo, “Be patient, Gunny. Our friend here said it may take a while for them to open up.” Tufo simply keyed the mic in return. Jack turned to the gnome and asked, “Are you hungry? We don’t have a very big selection, but the MREs aren’t that bad.”

“Any mutton?” he asked hopefully.

Jack chuckled. “I doubt there’s any mutton, but I bet we can find something you like.” He led the little fellow back to the campfire and a hot meal.

“And perhaps while we enjoy your fine fare, we might i
mbibe in some grog or mead?” he asked hopefully.

“Sorry, friend, but we didn’t bring anything like that with us.” Jack smiled.

“Ah, well. Probably for the best as I tend to break into song when I allow myself the joys of spirits,” the gnome admitted. “However, I am curious in your interest in the Greaters?”

“I’ll tell you all about it as we eat,” Jack said as he escorted him to the edge of the campsite.

3

Dominic felt drained as he sat at the foot of the altar in the abandoned cathedral. The dark vampire appeared to hover above him in the second story window staring out at the city of Rome, waiting for the first lick of sunlight to appear over the horizon. Dom sifted through the rubble and found the arm to an ancient marble statue. The fingers were broken from the hand, but the musculature and veining in the sculpture still felt smooth and lifelike. He hefted the broken piece in his hand and enjoyed the feel of it, a makeshift weapon, but at least it was something. He turned again to check on the dark vampire and was startled to find him standing directly behind him. Had the vampire needed to breathe, his breath would have tickled the back of his neck.

“Tsk-tsk, Mr. DeGiacomo,” the vampire muttered, his eyebrows rising as he eyed the marble arm in his hands. “If silver bullets won’t stop me, do you really think that will do me harm?”

Dom considered taking a swing anyway, but then consi
dered otherwise. His head and kidney were still throbbing and he really didn’t relish the idea of having any other parts of his body damaged. His jaw ticked as he reluctantly dropped the arm back into the rubble. “Can’t blame a guy for thinking it, can you?”

“No, I cannot.” The dark vampire wrapped an arm around Dom’s shoulder and led him away from the cathedral and into the passageways leading to the labyrinth of rooms above and below them. “We still have much to discuss before I send you back to your people, Mr. DeGiacomo.”

“Oh, please. Call me Dominic,” Dom said with a sneer, feeling his skin crawl at the vampire’s touch. “I feel we’ve grown so
close
lately,” he added sarcastically.

The dark vampire nodded. “We have, haven’t we?” He slipped his arm away from Dom’s shoulders. “Perhaps I shouldn’t have unleashed so many memories upon you so quic
kly, but you demanded answers. Without context, none of the memories I gave you would mean much, wouldn’t you agree?”

Dom rubbed at his temples, his head still throbbing. “If you say so, man, but my head hurt like you wouldn’t believe before you did that. You can’t imagine what it feels like now.”

“Ah, yes. The pilot did strike you quite soundly.” The vampire stopped and turned Dom to face him. “Here, allow me to ease your pain.” Before Dom could protest, he placed a hand on either side of Dom’s face and peered deeply into his eyes. At first, Dom felt as though an ice pick was piercing him between his eyes; he inhaled deeply to scream when suddenly…the pain stopped. He panted a moment, trying to catch his breath as the sudden easing of pain caught him short.

“What did you do?” he gasped.

“I healed your concussion.”

“You can’t do that,” Dom stated. “Maybe you can make me think I don’t feel it, but you can’t heal it.”

The vampire stared at him blankly. “Why can’t I?”

Dom was dumbfounded. “I…well…uh…
because.
”

“That was certainly a scientific answer.” The vampire turned and slowly started down the hallway again. Dom fell into step behind him. “Just because I am vampire, does not mean that I cannot do good, Dominic.”

Dom was startled at him using his first name, but then remembered him telling him to do it. “Yeah, well, for someone intent on burning the world and eating everybody in it, let’s just say that I wouldn’t expect an act of kindness.”

The vampire at his side smiled softly in the darkness. “You know my past, yes? You saw the memories. You know who I am.”

“I saw it, but I’m not sure I understand it all,” he answered honestly.

“For a very short time, I understood that there is more po
wer in kindness than in torment,” the vampire informed him. “One good act to a person in need can be multiplied a hundred fold. One kindness to someone who doesn’t
need
a kindness can be multiplied ten thousand times.”

“So why not kill the world with kindness?” Dom asked, knowing the answer before he asked it.

The dark vampire shook his head. “Because I was forsaken and turned to the darkness. This is forever my lot in life.”

“You said yourself that there is more power in kindness. You could still—”

“No!” the vampire shouted. “I cannot.” He growled deep in his throat. “You have no idea what it is like. You
cannot
know what it is like. To have loved someone so dearly, to give them your life, to turn away from everything that you were and dedicate your life to protecting them from everything…and then be turned out as a traitor to the Word!” He ground his teeth together and Dom could hear them, his own teeth hurting from the sound. “I was his protection from any who would do him harm. I was his bodyguard. I was his right hand. His most trusted. He knew my sins, my faults, my deepest secrets and he forgave me. He loved me anyway.” Dom saw his eyes begin to tear up and the vampire turned away from him. Dom tried a new tactic and reached out to him. He gently placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed.

He pulled up close to the vampire’s ear and whispered. “Is this what he would want you to do?” The vampire stiffened next to him. “Ask yourself that as you scream at his father, ‘what would Jesus do?’” Dom whispered, instantly feeling corny.

The vampire turned to him with a sneer, “You did not know Yeshua!” he growled. “Do not pretend to know him. You are not worthy to—”

“Hey! Whoa! Easy there, big guy.” Dom backed up, his hands held up in surrender. “You were the one telling me all the warm and fuzzy stuff, remember?” The dark vampire’s eyes li
terally flashed in the darkness and Dom assumed a defensive stance preparing for an imminent attack. “If he taught you that kindness was truly where the power was, and he loved you unconditionally, then how could you turn from his teachings like this?” Dom asked softly. He watched the dark vampire’s chest heave as if he were breathing hard, and he realized he was sobbing, yet his face was stone. “I get it, man. He loved you and you would have done anything for him. Hell! You
did
everything for him.” Dom moved in closer, cautiously closing the space between them. “You did what none of the others could, because it had to be done. I get it.”

The dark vampire stared at the space where Dom had been standing as Dom moved closer and placed a hand back on his shoulder. “You showed me, remember? You showed me your memories and I know how badly it hurt you to do what needed to be done.” He stood directly in front of the vampire, but he wouldn’t meet Dom’s gaze. “You did what
he
asked you to do…maybe it wasn’t his father’s will…I don’t know. Neither of us ever will know the mind of God.”

“We know,” the vampire replied softly, finally lifting his eyes to meet Dom’s. “We know because he damned me for ete
rnity.” He stepped back and stood to his full height, his shoulders squared, his jaw set, his eyes determined. “And that is exactly why I must do what I must.”

Dom groaned and lowered his eyes, his head shaking back and forth. “He would be so disappointed in what you’re about to do,” he muttered under his breath.

“Do not assume—” the vampire began with a growl.

“I don’t have to assume!” Dom shouted back forcefully. “You showed me exactly what he was like.” Dom pointed a fi
nger in the vampire’s face. “You tell me not to assume, not to pretend that I knew him, not to act as though I
know
, but
you
gave me those memories,
remember
? You shot my brain full of somebody else’s memories, sights, sounds and feelings, and then you have the balls to tell me that I don’t have the right to use them?” The dark vampire actually took a step back at Dom’s forcefulness. “Well, fuck you! You don’t have the right to say that!”

The two stood in the dark silence of the hallway for many moments the only sound between them was Dom’s heavy breathing. After what seemed an uncommonly long and aw
kward silence, the dark vampire gave Dom a slight bow. “You are correct,” he said softly. “You may make assumptions based on the memories I gave to you, but you are wrong in your conclusions that he would not approve.”

“How can you possibly say that?” Dom asked. “He taught to turn the other cheek.”

“He also said, ‘
Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.’  For every Yin, there is a Yang.”

Dom looked at him sideways a moment. “I’m no Bible scholar, but…that sure sounds Old Testament to me, bro. I ain’t buying the bullshit you’re selling.”

The dark vampire smiled slowly at him. “A man not easily fooled. I like that.”

“So you were bullshitting me.”

“No. He did say it. He was repeating what was written in the older books from some of the minor prophets,” the vampire stated with a dismissive wave of his hand. “I’m not saying he entirely agreed with them, but the words did escape his mouth.”

“So you used them out of context,” Dom argued.

“Pish-posh, your arguments will not change my mind.” The vampire turned and continued down the hallway again.

Dom followed him but continued his argument. “Well, it’s nice to see that all of that time you spent with him was a total waste. He taught you what was right and you totally disregard his teachings.” Dom fished again.

The vampire would not rise to the bait this time. “You are correct. When his father damned me, it took me a very long time, but I finally accepted my fate.”

“Oh really? And what is that?”

The vampire opened the door to a room so dark that Dom could not make out anything inside. He motioned his arm to usher Dom inside but Dom stood outside and waited a moment. “What is your fate? I’m curious.”

“It is quite simple. I am the Harbinger of Death.”

*****

Mueller pulled his Jeep up to the house that he once shared with his wife and son and parked across the street. He had driven straight through, stopping only for gas and a quick bite to eat, then hitting the road again. Now he was finally here and found himself afraid to get out of the CJ.

He sat in the seat a moment and stared at the little house. This was his dream, the house that he would raise his family in. The picket fence was real, he knew because he built it just a month after they closed on the property. The jungle gym with the raised fort in the backyard was solid, he knew because he built it with a few of his best friends from the Rangers when Bobby was only three. They spent the weekend figuring out how the kit went together and Barbara catered to their every need, including running to the hardware store to get more bolts and washers and nuts that the boys swore wasn’t included, only to find them when they cleaned up the boxes and debris. Robert had missed the plastic bag that held it all. Barbara teased him that had it been a snake, he would have been bit. He teased her back that had it been a snake, it would have moved and revealed its hidden location and then been soundly hacked to death with the hammer he had in his hand all weekend!

He stepped from the Jeep and crossed the road, slowly a
pproaching the house. He didn’t know why he felt such apprehension, but he did. He always did when it came to her. He would much rather face a truck load of Taliban than her. The Taliban could only torture and maybe kill him, but she could rip his heart out. And now, here he was, to face her and do the task for her. The news he bore tugging at his heart like a weight.

As he approached the entryway of the house, the door slo
wly opened and Barbara leaned against the door jam. She looked so damned hot in her white tank top and cut off denim jeans. She had a sly smile on her face and even without makeup and standing there barefoot she looked heart-wrenchingly beautiful to him. He froze in mid-stride and stared at her.

“You made it back alive,” she said, a brow slowly arching and a devilish smile crossing her pink lips.

“Yes, ma’am,” he replied, a smirk crossing his face. “You know me…always got to follow orders. Too stupid not to.” 

She ran from the doorway and jumped into his arms, wra
pping her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. The kiss she laid on him took his breath away. At five foot two inches, and ninety-eight pounds, she almost looked like a child wrapped around him, but her figure more than indicated she was anything
but
a child. Her short dark hair had grown out a little while he was gone, but still exposed her shoulders, which drove him wild. He held her, one hand under her bottom, the other hand slid up her back, his thick, meaty fingers slithering through her hair to hold the back of her head while her mouth probed his.

She finally pulled away from him and breathed a husky, “I missed you…” into his ear.

Robert felt an all too familiar pain in his groin and he groaned as he shifted her weight. He pulled her back slightly and stared into her eyes. He studied every nuance of her features as if he would never see her again. He felt his eyes start to tear up and Barbara felt his chest shudder slightly just before he pulled her to him in a crushing hug. Robert held her tightly and Barbara at first felt concern that something was wrong then felt panic because she couldn’t breathe. She tapped him soundly about the shoulders. “C-can’t breathe. Bob! Let up!”