“Your analysis?” asked Morris.
“Whoever planned this raid miscalculated the amount of time required to accomplish everything. They had obviously planned to escape before anyone recovered from the effects of the gas. Their getting stuck between the gate and this compound was not expected. As to whether a bullet struck the van, or if one of the occupants decided to end it right there and not face capture, we will never know for sure.”
“Thank you, Commander,” Morris said. He finally turned his attention to Commander Reese. “Commander, is there anything further you like to add?”
Reese couldn’t think of anything he wanted to add. The comments from the other team members seemed to cover all the bases that needed to be covered. However, the still unidentified observer looked unconvinced. Reese could feel his eyes boring into him. Still if this affair was to end, he needed to put all his cards out on the table to give the indication that he knew more than they did.
Reese began, “I think we have covered what happened here during the past few hours quite sufficiently as to a determination of what happened, however, I don’t think we have discovered the motive.”
The mystery man’s countenance seemed to change and he shifted in his chair. His hands still clamped the book between them.
“You have something on your mind, Commander? Go ahead,” said Morris.
“Well, sir, I can’t help wondering why Samantha felt the need to remove the creatures from military control. Either she was under orders to do so or she had her own plan that was contrary to the thinking of her superiors.”
“Interesting thought, Commander, but those issues shall be determined by a committee above this one,” Morris said. “We will table that subject.”
“Let him go on,” the man said in a voice that was flat and unemotional. “I like to hear the Commander’s take on this. Commander?”
“It didn’t take much to see that Samantha was a…” Reese hesitated, “I’m not sure of the exact word I want to use. She was obviously dedicated to a cause, but a cause that she thought only she could accomplish. I always had the feeling that she was leading us in one direction while going in another. It was as if there was something she didn’t want us to know.”
“Where are you going with this, Commander?” asked Morris.
“It was things she said and the way she acted when she talked. It’s as if she was planning something that involved a dramatic shift in how we would use the creatures. I almost got the feeling that they would be used as some kind of personal assassins to achieve some goal.”
“Interesting thoughts, Commander,” the unidentified man said.
Reese felt his eyes become sharply focused on him as if he wanted to say something but could not. When he finally did speak, it was in a slow, articulate manner, “I will take your thoughts under advisement. Of course if you had some kind of proof of what you suggest, that would help immeasurably. Do you have any proof, Commander?”
“No sir,” Reese said, “nothing concrete.”
Morris spoke up, “Commander Reese, do you have any thoughts on why the creature or creatures you said were killed were apparently still alive?”
“It can only be one of two things,” Reese began, “either the remote device did not activate the injection device on the collars or the elixir in the collars had lost its potency.”
“Or there was a deliberate release of the creatures,” the white-haired man added. “Is this not a possibility, Commander Reese?”
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Reese paused for a few seconds to give the appearance that he was shocked to hear the accusation; however, he wasn’t really surprised. As he had intended, this conversation had turned into a quid pro quo exchange. Reese indicated that he knew more about Samantha’s, or the agency activities with Christina, and now the white haired man traded back that perhaps he suspected Reese was involved in the release of the vampires. Now they were on equal ground.
“I imagine that one might consider that a possibility,” Reese said.
“However,” the white haired man began, “given the nature of your impeccable service to this country, we would naturally not consider the possibility of such an action on your part. Just as Samantha’s actions, although questionable, must have been taken because she believed it to be the best she could do for her country. Samantha is to be respected and remembered for her impeccable service and long career.”
The man stared at Reese for several seconds and he saw that sharp-eyed appearance soften as they reached an understanding. The man turned toward General Morris and quietly said something to him, and then he stood up and left the room.
When the door closed, Morris turned to Reese, “What the fuck was that about? Do you have any idea who that man is and what power he has?”
“He was never introduced,” Reese said, the sarcasm in his voice strong.
“You know damn well who he is, so cut the shit!”
“He asked me for my opinion and I gave it to him, sir” replied Reese and then said nothing more.
General Morris stared at Reese for several seconds before speaking. He appeared to be replaying the conversation in his thoughts. Slowly the angry expression faded and was replaced by a more cautious look. He turned his attention to all of them. “Gentlemen, we are done here. Over the next few days you will attend a final debriefing and then you will be returned to your previous assignments. As for you, Commander Reese, you will be returned to your retirement status. Thank you.”
The men rose from the chairs and started to leave. “Reese,” the General said. “Stay for a moment.”
When everyone else had departed the room, the General said, “You’re playing a dangerous game, Reese, a very dangerous game. However, I have to hand it to you; you played it well. Perhaps too well for your own good. You remember what I told you when the operation started, ‘like a dog with a bone’, remember?”
“I remember,” Reese agreed.
“Good. I hope you live long enough to enjoy your retirement,” the General said with a sarcastic grin on his face.
“You too, sir” Reese said as he pointed his index finger straight at the General’s heart. The General’s grin quickly dissipated. Reese smiled and then left the room.
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Reese walked out of the compound and drove directly to the abandoned base. He found himself gripping the steering wheel so hard that his knuckles had turned white. He shook them and forced them to relax. During the drive he tried to push the thought from his mind that Christina would not be there. He suspected that Dimitri and the others were probably already gone because Dimitri had changed the operation to erase all indications of their existence. And he had, quite thoroughly, Reese had to admit. If nothing else, Dimitri was very thorough. Reese hoped that in terms of Christina, and Dimitri’s insistence that they could not make their relationship work, his thoroughness had faltered.
As he entered the underground compound, he was greeted only with the sound of his own footsteps and their echo in the cavernous crypt. He checked every room and found no one. Finally he returned to the main area and he sat at a table in the room where he had last talked with Christina. He tried to imagine her voice – determined to remember every word of that conversation and search for clues as to what was planned.
“She’s gone. Dead,” a man’s voice called interrupting Reese’s thoughts. He turned in the direction of the voice and he saw the white haired man from the previous meeting at the compound.
“Such a pity,” the man continued, “I wanted to kill her myself.”
“What?” asked Reese. “Why would you want to kill her?”
“Let’s say I have personal reasons,” he said, as he raised the book Reese had seen him holding earlier.
“I don’t understand,” Reese said.
“I wouldn’t expect you to. This book, she sent it to me. Its contents destroyed a part of me that I had put away for safekeeping. I’m not sure if that was her intent or if she was trying to make amends in her own way. I guess it doesn’t matter anymore what she was trying to do.”
“What was in the book?” asked Reese.
The man ignored Reese’s question. “Still she was a very valuable asset to us. She will be missed.”
“You mean assassin,” Reese said. “She killed for you and your agency.”
“Yes, well of course she did. That’s what we do. Samantha will also be missed. She was a dedicated woman to the cause. A bit neurotic, but this kind of work will do that.”
“Hazards of the job,” said Reese.
The man laughed lightly. “Yes, well put. So tell me, what did Samantha offer you?”
“Excuse me?” said Reese.
“Come now, Commander, we both know what happened in that meeting. We reached a compromise which protects the reputations of both the Navy and my own Agency. Of course, there are… how would you say, unexplained elements of our stories that need not be gone into. Now, it’s just you and me and I’m curious. What did she offer you for your services?”
The emptiness of the compound, as well as the one in his heart, left Reese uncaring about what this man knew so he told him the truth, “She wanted me to help her carry out her plan. I had the knowledge and background she needed and she thought I would be a valuable asset in her plans for using the vampires in a more aggressive manner.”
“Ah, I see. And you agreed?”
“Let’s just say that, at the time, I didn’t have much choice in the matter.”
“So she came up with this plan to get all the vampires out of the compound but ditched you in the end?”
“That’s about it,” agreed Reese.
“Such a waste,” he said. “Samantha always followed orders explicitly. Until now. I was satisfied to keep the one vampire and let the military have the rest. But power corrupts completely and Samantha saw the power that she could wield if she had them all. She wanted to move more quickly than we were. But all of that is gone now.”
“Some things were meant to be left alone I guess,” said Reese.
“Perhaps, the man agreed, “but sometimes the future needs to be shaped. You could still be part of that.”
“What? Are you offering me a job?” asked an incredulous Reese.
“I have an opening that needs to be filled.”
“I’ll pass on that one,” Reese said with a wave of his hand. “I’ve had enough. Besides, my talents are currently not required.”
“For now,” the man said, “but at a later date they may again be needed.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re an educated man, Commander. There are obviously other vampires out there. They just need to be found. Your services would be of great value in finding them.”
“No. I’m going to have to pass.”
“Are you sure? This offer may not come under such pleasant circumstances in the future.”
“Is that a threat?” asked Reese.
“No. Of course not, merely a statement.”
“Look,” Reese interrupted, “I don’t want anything to do with this. Not now, not ever. Do you think that I didn’t take some measures when I was summoned back to active duty against my will?”
“Now it is my turn to ask, is that a threat?” the white haired man asked, his face turning severe in its expression.
Reese smiled, “No, of course not. Just practicing that art of compromise you mentioned earlier. A complete transcript of… how should I say? ‘Questionable actions’ is safely tucked away with legal instructions for its disbursement upon my death.”
The white haired man stared at Reese. The severe look on his face slowly shaped itself into a grin. “We could have worked well together, but as you said some things are not meant to be. Have a nice retirement.” Without another word, the man turned and left the underground compound.
Reese sat for a few minutes longer, feeling as if he could finally breathe again. The conversation with his white haired spook had been intense, but he thought he had handled it well considering he had bluffed his way through it. He hadn’t left any kind of records anywhere, but now the thought seemed like it might be a good idea. Just in case.
Reese rose from his chair and walked into the room that had been Christina’s bedroom. He took a last lingering look around and the clothes and adornments spoke to him of her. They reminded him of her personality and in his thoughts he could see her face as it had been those few nights they had spent together.
His eyes caught a glimpse of something familiar lying on a table. He moved toward it and saw that it was a copy of his book. She’d stolen the textbook on myths and religions he had used for the class he had only just started teaching before it was cancelled. He picked it up and flipped through it. Christina had dog-eared several of pages whereupon he had written about vampires. He felt a smile briefly touch his lips and then it vanished.
He kept the book in his hands as he turned and left the room knowing that he would never use it again.
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When he got home, a wave of exhaustion plummeted upon Reese like a shower of bricks. He didn’t want to think anymore. All he wanted was a hot shower and sleep. As he walked toward his bedroom to undress, he caught a glimmer of the red light of his answering machine flashing. He pressed the button and listened to the messages. First was a message from Commander Pattoon reminding him of the debriefing schedule the next day. Next, was a message from a telemarketer offering him a home equity loan. Finally, there came a message from a travel agency offering him a free trip to Disney World. He laughed at the Disney World offer, but then reconsidered. Maybe a trip to another type of fantasy world was just what he needed.
Exhausted, both emotionally and physically, he stood in the bedroom and began to undress. He caught his image in the full length mirror as he removed the flight suit that Christina had given him. Looking at himself, even he thought his features looked haggard and worn and that rest was probably the best thing that he could do at the moment. As he finished stripping down, he felt something in one of the pockets. He unzipped it and removed a piece of paper unfolding it and immediately recognizing the ornate script handwriting as Christina’s. His legs turned to jelly, so he sat on the bed and read.