Specters: A Monster Squad Novel - 8 (40 page)

“Yes, Robert, what is it now?”

“Check your video feeds now! Somebody attacked them!”

Jameson punched the button to put the call on speaker and sat behind his desk. He entered the security code to unlock his computer and pulled up the video feeds that had Ingram so excited.

“What is it I’m looking for?”

“Roll it back to about twenty minutes ago. Oh, my God…there are more coming after them now.”

“So they’re still under attack? Interesting…” Jameson scrolled the time back and watched as military personnel spread out and advanced on the hangar. “Why are base personnel attacking them, Robert? What did you do?”

“Nothing, I swear! Whoever this is, it has nothing to do with us!”

Jameson watched as both sides exchanged fire. The hunters stepped out and shot down some of the Air Force personnel then the personnel got back up and fired back. At least they were smart enough to wear body armor.

He scrolled through a few more exchanges then something caught his eye and he scrolled back through. “Robert, go to time stamp 1348. Who…or
what
is that?”

“The black individual that attacks them by himself? I don’t know, but if you play it back slowly, you’ll see that he’s shot at least four times. And…zoom in at 1354. I swear that looks like the bullet is being pushed out of his back. There’s hardly any blood and no wounds.”

Jameson sat back and studied the fuzzy image before him. “What is this thing, Robert?”

“Beats me. We have nothing on it from our intel.”

Jameson rubbed at his chin as he stared at the image. “Another hired gun to assist with…something?”

“Look at his clothing. He’s wearing one of their uniforms.” Ingram’s voice dropped and became solemn, “I think…I think maybe he’s one of them, sir.”

“Is this what they’re capable of?”

“I honestly don’t know.” Ingram cleared his throat and Jameson heard the phone shift. “If they all have this healing ability and ferocity, perhaps we should…
rethink
our plan.”

Jameson slowed the video and watched as the dark figure bounced from soldier to soldier, slashing and tearing, rending heads from bodies with ease. “Perhaps you’re right, Robert. Let’s continue to observe these…things before we make a final decision.”

21

Mitchell stopped pacing and spun on the intruder who opened the door of the OPCOM. His jaw went slack when he saw Laura step inside and he felt as if his prodigal child had returned to him. She shut the door silently and turned to greet him. “Laura Youngblood reporting for duty, sir. Well, if you’ll still have me.” She gave him a mock salute.

Colonel Mitchell threw decorum out the window and pulled her into a quick bear hug. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I missed ya, lady.”

“Good to see you too, sir.” Laura cast a quick glance around the operations center and nodded toward the screens. “May I ask what’s happening?”

“We think it’s a wendigo. The team has gone underground and we’ve lost communications with them.”

Laura glanced at the other screens and pointed to the video feed from the drone. “You have a drone in the air?”

“Of course.”

“Then why not shoot an MI Probe into the ground and bounce your RF feed from that?”

Mitchell looked at her as if she had suddenly grown a second head. “Do what?”

Laura turned to the communications technician. “Does that drone have an MI probe on it?”

“I…I don’t know what an MI probe is, ma’am.”

“A magneto-inductive probe. They used to call it a ‘rock phone’ when it was being developed.” She slid over the rail and stared at the controls on his screen. “What’s that icon on your screen?”

“I…I don’t…” The tech slid aside and let her at his controls.

“The magneto-inductive probe is fired into the ground and basically uses the soil, rock or vegetation that it’s in as a conductive coil to transmit RF signals back and forth from their radios to the drone.” She looked to the drone operator and hooked her chin toward the screen. “Find us a clearing close to where the squad is operating.”

“Approaching target area, ma’am.”

She lined up the target area and loosed the probe. “And there you have it. Give it a go, Colonel.”

Mitchell shook his head. “What did I ever do without you?” He suddenly soured and glared at his communications tech. “And you obviously need proper training.” He reached for the button on his command chair to open the coms when the alarm claxon sounded.

He looked to Laura with surprise. “Find out what’s going on. I have to stay on this.”

“Roger that, sir.” She jumped back over the rail and ran out the door.

*****

Jack stood in the stairwell and watched as the last of the battle topside took place. With no weapons, he felt there was little he could do. From his vantage point, he couldn’t readily see who dared to attack the squads on their home turf, but he knew that whoever it was had surprised enough people that there were casualties.

He trotted to the east door just as Dom broke away and started running through the hangar. “What’s going on?”

“A bunch of Air Force regulars and Security Forces went batshit crazy and opened fire on us.”

“Why?” Jack stood back, his mind reeling.

“No fucking clue!” Dom stopped at the gear table and pulled his pack from the wall. “Hammer says the second wave is on their way. These fuckers don’t go down easy, man. I guess they’re making these Air Force guys tougher than they used to.”

Jack stepped closer and grabbed Dom’s arm. “What do you mean, they don’t go down easy?”

“Like zombie tough. Guts hanging out and they just keep comin’ at ya. Like that fuckin’ pink rabbit with the drum, man.”

Jack stepped back and turned toward the stairwell. He looked to Kalen and Gnat who stood near the opening. He was certain…some of Lilith’s demon army survived their attack and they were here now. Coming for their queen.

He turned and ran for the stairwell. “Kill her now! Do it! Do it now!”

Kalen’s face registered his confusion, but he didn’t get the opportunity to question his leader. An explosion rocked the inside of the hangar, a deafening crash sending Jack tumbling with a cloud of debris and dirt.

He and Gnat fell backward and down the stairwell, tumbling hard on the concrete steps to the first landing. Kalen felt himself being pushed to the side, and Gnat emerged from under him, his leather helmet askew. “What was that?”

“An explosion.” Kalen pulled himself to his feet and began climbing back up the steps. “We must help Chief Jack.”

“He told us to kill her.” Gnat pulled at Kalen’s leg, trying to stop him.

“He might be hurt.” Kalen glanced down the stairwell toward their lair. “I am sure the others can keep her still until we ensure he is safe.”

He stepped back out into the hangar and saw the other human hunters at each large doorway, shooting out toward groups of people. Kalen ducked low and ran from obstacle to obstacle looking for where Jack may have landed.

Gnat waved his arms from close to the back wall. “Here!”

Kalen looked and saw Jack’s boots lying next to where Gnat stood and ran to his side. Blood was smeared across his face, but he still breathed. He reached down and lifted the larger man, sliding him across his lean shoulders. “Go, Gnat!”

The pair ran for the stairwell and Kalen had to turn sideways to keep from beating Jack’s already bloody head against the concrete walls.

As they reached the first landing and were clear of the fighting, he slowed a bit and felt the adrenaline start to leave him. Suddenly Jack became much heavier. Gnat pushed open the door to the lower level conference room and Kalen stepped inside. Everyone had questions but he had no answers.

*****

Mark paused at the east door and looked around for a better weapon. He couldn’t effectively grip a rifle and with his talons at full extension, he wasn’t sure he could grip a blade. Maybe a large pipe?

“Major, they said they’re attacking the north entrance again.” Chad McKenzie slammed another magazine home and racked a round. “You sticking around here with us or going to help Dom?”

Mark growled low without thinking about it. “I think it’s time to finish this.” He tried to smile, but it looked eerily like a snarl.

Chad gave him a nervous smile in return and watched as the man took off along the outside of the hangar again. He ran wide and flanked the attackers this time, approaching from their rear. He tore into their ranks with renewed vigor, shredding and rending body parts from torsos, leaving a bloody trail as he went.

Without thinking about what he was doing, he ripped the arm from one rather large Security Forces member and used it as a meaty club against the others. Dom and Hammer advanced out the door, cutting down those in the front who didn’t realize their compatriots in the rear were being removed from the fight.

Dom and Hammer both slowed their fight as they noticed what they weren’t sure they had seen before. A bright yellow light flashed from each of the attackers just before they fell to the ground, dead.

“Something is definitely not right here.” Dom shouldered his weapon and stared outward toward the horizon.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d think they were body hopping. What the hell can do that?”

“Your guess is as good as mine, bud.”

Mark tossed the arm aside and wiped his bloody hands off on what was left of his uniform shirt. “They stink of sulfur.”

“Sulfur?” Dom repeated. “Fuck me.”

Hammer groaned, “Demons.”

*****

Kalen wiped gently at Jack’s forehead with a rag as the others argued.

“We should assist in the battle,” Azrael insisted.

“No!” Allister stomped his clawed foot. “I can smell them from here. It is her demon army. We must destroy her now!”

Gnat stood next to Brooke’s still form, his hammer at the ready. “We’ll not do a thing until the elf is ready.”

“Who gave him say over when and how things are done?” Foster screeched. “If those are her demons up there, they won’t stop until they have her!”

Kalen dropped the rag and stood, his shoulders squared. “She is my lover. I will decide.”

The Nephilim stepped forward and handed Kalen his blade. “The time is nigh, Woodlander. Do what must be done.”

Kalen stared at the blade in his hand and it suddenly felt heavy in his hand. The steel much colder than he had ever remembered. He stood beside Brooke and stroked her hair once more.

Jack lifted his head and had to blink rapidly to focus on the group. “You must. People are dying up there,” his voice dry and raspy.

Kalen turned and stared at him for just a moment, his breath catching as he realized that the man was awake. He nodded slowly and pulled the knife from the sheath.

He stood over Brooke’s still form and unzipped the top of her leather blouse. He remembered kissing her between those breasts as he pressed the point of the steel blade to her flesh.

Brooke suddenly opened her eyes and gasped, “Please don’t, Kalen. I love you so much.”

Kalen pulled the blade back and stared into her eyes. “You’re not her…not anymore.”

“I’m still me. I’m still in here. She’s letting me talk to you right now. There is a way to get her out and let me live, Kalen. She knows how.”

Kalen shook his head. “No, you’re trying to trick me.”

“Do it, Woodlander,” he Nephilim stepped closer, his voice low and urging.

“Please, Kalen, don’t do this. I want so much to be with you…” Brooke’s voice trailed off and he saw the tears running down the sides of her face. His hand shook as he lifted the blade again.

“I must, my love. I have no other choice.”

He pressed the blade to her chest once more then turned his eyes to hers, expecting her face to contort to anger or hatred. What he saw surprised him.

He saw love.

“I’ll always love you, Kalen.” She swallowed hard and nodded to him. “Do it. If there’s an ‘other side’ for vampires, I’ll wait for you there.”

Kalen’s hands shook as he leaned down and kissed her one last time. “I love you, Brooke.”

“I love y—”

*****

Bigby watched as his team of Roman Centurions advanced, got cut down and then recycled to fresh bodies. Oh, how he envied them and their ability to simply jump into a new body when they had ruined the one they were in.

As they pressed closer and closer to the hangar, he finally got his brave on and slipped between the numerous cars parked in the lot. He slid along the gravel and eventually made his way to the side of the building. He watched as the Romans wearing American GI meat suits shot their way closer and he inched toward the main door. He pulled a grenade from his belt and hefted it in his hand. One of his Roman soldiers had already tossed a grenade in earlier, but it only caused a short lull in the fighting. He intended to bounce this one right inside the door and cut down as many of the men holding their positions as possible.