You should have known the price of evil
And it hurts to know that you belong here
Yeah... No one to call
Everybody to fear
Your tragic fate is looking so clear
-Lyrics to 'Nightmare' performed by Avenged Sevenfold
Crimson Bonds Part 49
Dawson's thoughts were falling apart and melding together all at the same time as he stared down the little bastard that he had not expected to encounter... let alone have to deal with the prospect of working with him.
Only seeing Mark as the killer that he managed to hide behind a charming smile that somehow won over about every girl he encountered. the taller Hunter fought every urge within himself to knock the smirk off the face he continued to glare at.
The taller Hunter gritted through his teeth, "How in the hell did you manage to talk the Boss into bringing you on?"
Huffing, Barnett smirked, "Oh, you mean you were left out of the loop on something for a change? I was picked to handle a special assignment that I was personally chosen for. It earned me the new rank, once again proving how valuable I am around here." He raised an eyebrow, taunting, "Before long, I'll be knocking you off your pedestal and taking up your place in watching after that pregnant, blood-sucker."
Taken off guard, Broderick blinked widely. So Mark knew about Anna. What else had the Boss gone over with the last person who should be the least trusted out of all of the Hunters? By the glint that flashed across the younger Hunter's eyes, he made his dark intentions for the Vampire known...
...and what was this special assignment that Barnett had been charged with?
In the end, the questions surrounding all of these developments didn't matter. All that mattered was protecting Anna at all costs from the cocky little creep. "You'll be crawling over my dead body before that ever happens," Dawson heard himself hiss under his breath, only serving to amuse his adversary all the more.
Just as the Barnett opened his mouth to retort, the enemies snapped out of their standoff to spin at the main doors when they suddenly slid open. Entering the lab, Septum smiled widely at the sight of his long-time friend. "Broderick," he greeted, arms opening at either of his sides. "I see that you've met the new addition to the team."
Snapping up rigidly, the handsome young man did little to cover his displeasure as he replied sarcastically, "Couldn't be happier about it, Boss. We're all the better for having him here."
Barnett's face reddened at the open slap to the face and once again moved to speak when Millers raised his hand to stop him and ordered, "Mark, would you please get the subject ready? We are going to run our experiment as soon as Berg emerges from his office."
Growling under his breath, the younger Hunter stormed out, purposely nudging his challenger's side on his way past.
When he and his most loyal associate were left staring at the doors sealing them off from the rest of the facility, Septum sighed up at him, "I know that the two of you have never seen eye-to-eye. But the fact is that you're going to have to learn to work together sooner or later. Preferably sooner, as I am not going back on my decision in bringing him up the ranks."
Slapping his friend's shoulder, the scientist reassured, "You'll see that he deserves the chance. After his find in Poland, the least I could do was come up with something for him to do besides wandering the halls for a strike from our enemies that is never going to come."
His stomach cringing at the thought of how Mark had obtained the diary that Millers now held so dear, Broderick swallowed roughly. To push for information on how much the man knew of the murder would only bring on trouble for the inquisition. Best to tread carefully now that there had been such a drastic play involving Barnett.
"Fine," Dawson huffed out, not at all about to completely let go of his frustration. "What is this experiment that you have him involved in, then?"
Septum laughed, "All in good time, friend. All in good time. You'll be witness to it, so no worry. I am not about to spoil the surprise before then. Just hang tight until I summon you." That said, he turned away to step through the same doors that Mark had disappeared behind.
That sickening sensation came over Broderick again as he stood alone in the middle of the white-walled room. Somehow, he was pretty certain that this was one 'surprise' he was not going to enjoy.
* * * * * *
"I hate to tell you guys this, but Jameson's home in Fiji is a fortress of security," Catherine frowned deeply after going through the archive of the well-renown weapons expert. Speaking towards the radio at the center of the table before her, she warned, "Armed guards, computerized sensors and pretty much every measure of protection he can afford."
Chang's voice replied, "I am going over the layout as we speak as well. As of three months before Anna and Duo were taken, he doubled his staff to make sure he is watched every twenty-four hours. That was one of the things that helped him stand out as our guy."
Her widened eyes blinking, Bloom let out a low whistle and muttered, "Holy crap. I'd say so. Now how the hell are the three of you supposed to get close to him? He's not very likely to open his doors to three Vampires wanting to talk to him."
It was Heero's flat timbre to reassure, "Don't worry. We've broken through tighter defenses than what we've scoped out. We'll be heading out within a few hours, once we have the night to our advantage."
Standing at the opposite side of the table, Charles was a controlled bundle of nerves as he chewed on the inside of his cheek. Once he was able to find his voice, he urged, "Just... be careful. As soon as you're safely away, you'll call us, right?"
There was soft chuckling from Yuy and Barton over the connection as his father promised warmly, "Of course. Try to not worry too much until then. We've got this."
"Okay," the redheaded Vampire murmured back. Though he was well aware of how capable his Dad and uncles were, it was going to be a tense wait until he actually heard back that the matter was handled and everyone was fine.
Catherine smiled sadly to her young friend while she concluded the conversation with a wished, "Good luck, guys. We'll be standing by."
Leaning forward, she turned the radio off and rounded the table and gave Charles a tight embrace. How tightly the Infected clung back onto her brought a sting to the Companion's eyes. "They're going to be alright," she vowed softly. "Before you know it, that call will come in and we'll have our next lead towards finding your Mom and Uncle Duo."
As they pulled back, the youngling cleared his throat and nodded shallowly. "Yea... I know," he whispered, staring down at at the transponder. "It's just... waiting for word from anyone sent off on a mission hasn't been this rough before, considering what's at stake."
Bloom swallowed roughly, nodding back. Rather than dwell on the unpleasant subject, she asked, "John's still sleeping, then?"
Head snapping up, Charles managed to keep his expression calm. Well aware that his brother was still on his date with Angela , he trained his initial surprise back as he responded simply, "Yea. He was pretty wiped out when we headed up earlier." Smirking, he shrugged, "He hasn't been out like this before and we were going pretty non-stop for a while there. He'll be broken in before long."
It definitely made sense to the weapons expert. "Right," Catherine smiled sheepishly. "I'll get a hold of Zayeed so that he'll be away from his work in time for the return call from the others," she stated, heading out of the enclosed back patio.
Her grin slipping away in her being on her own again, she sighed, "Those poor kids. I hope that we finally get to the bottom of this soon."
* * * * * *
Walking his Other back to her campus residence, John was smiling from ear-to-ear at having the lovely young woman's arm looped around his own as they strolled along the street lit sidewalks. With the front steps of the brick building in sight, he felt the looming dread of their having to part yet again for a time falling upon them.
"I'm really glad that we got to meet like this again," the near giddy Vampire began as the start of a new discussion, glancing over at the student that had captivated him from the first time they had set eyes upon each other.
Angela met his gaze, beaming, "Me, too." From the corner of her vision, she could recognize the appearance of the brick building that was her dorm facility and her heart began to sink. "It just seemed to go by so fast. I wish there were more hours in the night," she frowned.
Silently questioning there never seemed to be enough time for their get-togethers, McAdams decided to let go of getting the answers and simply enjoyed what time she still had with her company. Leaning her side against John's side, her grin returned and she requested, "Could we meet up again soon?"
The Vampire didn't hesitate to smile, "As soon as possible." Wincing the moment the sentiment left him, he scrambled mentally for a reasonable opening that would work around the case. It wasn't going to be long now before his Dad and uncles wrapped up their interrogation according to the text Charles had recently forwarded to him.
Finding his Mom and Uncle Duo remained John's top priority.
Still, he couldn't allow himself to completely lose his growing connection with Angela. They were only laying out the usual ground work of really getting to know each other that Chang guessed most couples engaged in at the start of their relationships. But there was so much that had yet to be discovered between them...
....the main unknown being that the beautiful intern had no idea that she was a Companion tied to an Infected posing as a human for the time being.
Finally settling on a realistic time-line, John admitted, "I'm not exactly sure when I'll be free for a little while here since my family is moving around a lot these next few weeks. But I think Tuesday would be a safe bet."
"Great!" the blonde girl cheered as they stopped at the bottom of the steps leading up to the lobby of her dorm. "Same time, same place, then." Biting her lip, she reluctantly stared at the glass doors waiting for her to enter while an overwhelming urge came over her.
Nervous as she was, Angela threw caution to the wind and followed her instinct. Quickly closing the short distance between them, she closed her eyes and leaned in as their lips pressed together. Instantly, the touch of cold to the mouth that she touched melted into an intense fire at the scorching heat that erupted from the deepest center of her being.
John was taken aback for one wide-eyed second before his eyelids drifted closed and his arms looped around the living as he dared to intensify their first kiss. Urged by the cosmic bond linking them, the Vampire parted his lips, reveling at how readily his Chosen welcomed and returned the gesture for more.
Sighing as they explored every smell, taste and essence that they could at that moment, the pair tightened their holds on one another in an unconscious desperation to never be parted again.
When the need for air forced Angela to end the blissful exchange, her lips were almost swollen but tingled with the same excitement that had consumed her. "Wow," was all she should breathe between her soft pants. With a glowing smile for the grinning young man watching her, she stammered, "W-well... um... good night."
"Good night," the Infected whispered back, swallowing roughly when she turned to climb the stairs and entered the lobby. However, the lightness in her steps and the dreamy expression that she wore until she was no longer in sight encouraged John.
It was only going to be a few more days before they would be together again. He would have to contain himself until then.
Snorting, the youngling muttered to himself, "Next time I should remember to ask for her full name." The little detail had slipped his mind every time they had spoken up until then. In the end, it was such a little thing that it really didn't matter... they were forever bound to one another. Names really didn't matter in the grand scheme of what they shared.
Only dwelling on the remarkable sensations that lingered on from their kiss, the immortal walked off with a lightness in his steps before disappearing in a blur of himself when he reached the tree line.
* * * * * *
Accessing the main entrance of the sprawling mansion that belonged to the target was quick and efficient. After decades upon decades of serving as Preventers, the trio of Vampires descending upon the highly secured residence was hardly a challenge.
Trowa expertly snuck up the guards that they had encountered, rendering them unconscious before they even knew that they were not alone. Working from the more vulnerable back of the estate to the front, he gave Wufei the time he needed to disable the alarms that would have given any other hacker a time in decoding.
Finally, utilizing the Gundanium wings Catherine had bestowed upon him, Yuy hovered high overhead.
With a pair of thermal heat sensor binoculars secured to his head, he made fast work in locating the master bedroom where a rather large person was curled up in its bed. "North wing, only room with a balcony facing the ocean," he informed flatly over the com by his mouth.
"Copy," was echoed over the transmission from the Original's brother and cousin. By the time he descended to land smoothly into the opened patio of his destination, he was joined by his teammates who emerged at either side of him.
Recoiling his wings into the pack upon his back, Yuy removed his head set and nodded firmly to Chang in a silent order.
The scaly Infected moved for the sealed off double-window doors ahead of them, quickly unhitching the lock within thanks to a thin wire that he produced. Pulling the panes open , he made room for his fellow agents to move inside with him.
Dark as the room was, the Vampires' enhanced eyesight hardly needed the brilliant moonlight that they allowed to pour in behind them to make out the king-sized bed at the other side of the room. Before the burly man dressed in silken, red pajamas was aware of their invasion, Trowa rushed for him, a cold hand pressing over the weapon manufacturer's partly opened mouth.
At the contact, Jameson's eyes flew open wide as a startled cry was muffled by the cold palm pressed against his face.
His vision quickly adjusting to note the gold-rings around the irises of the narrowed emerald eyes reflecting in the natural light, he quickly noted the two creatures standing just a couple of paces back with their own fierce glares fixed upon him.
Barton reached up with his free hand to press a finger against his own lips slowly so that there was no mistaking what he wanted the prey to know he was gesturing.
What came about next startled the Preventers. Instead of growing more frightened, the living relaxed... enough so that he actually sighed as his blue-gray eyes lost their terror. Nodding, he sagged back onto his bed in a clear acceptance of whatever was about to transpire.
Out of his own surprise, Trowa's hand fell to his side from the captive's mouth rather than being pulled away.
Marcellus smiled up at the pale faces that were slowly becoming more clear to him. In little more than a breath, he said, "I was promised that this day would come. Just please kill me quickly so that I can finally find some peace."
Their backs righting in sharp snaps, the three visitors exchanged shocked expressions.
* * * * * *
"W-what is this?" Broderick whispered as he stared in disbelief at the innocent child led into the lab by Barnett.
The girl, no more than twelve, was slight in frame and average height for her age,. Shoulder-length, mouse brown hair fell in tight curl spirals as her enlarged, green eyes scanned the white-walled area anxiously. Behind her back, her little hands were tied together with a thick cord.
Septum shrugged, "This is what I like to call assurance. I need to make sure that your charge stays in line for the remainder of her stay. For too long now, she has pulled a lot of strings to suit herself and now that she is closing in on the half-way point of her pregnancy, I need to make sure that she remembers who is truly in charge."
Trembling in her loose sundress, the girl whimpered in her apparent scare over what she was hearing... not to mention the fact that she was bound and brought into a strange room surrounded by faces that she had never seen before.
Quickly closing in on his Boss, Dawson pressed under his breath, "Explain. Anna is my responsibility. I should have the right to know what you're planning for her and the child."
"Why, I am going to see just how hungry our dear expectant mother is," Millers answered, a cruel smile curling his lips. "It's been months since she would have been able to hunt. She must be famished."
Finding her voice, the little prisoner's mouth opened to release a scream.
* * * * * *
"Sir, we're looking into a likely breach in our security! Please do not wander about the estate until we know that the area is secure!" a male voice cried over the com linked into every room of the extensive Fiji mansion.
Opening his end of the transmission, Marcellus leaned over the edge of his main office desk as he replied calmly, "It's alright. Be cure to call the team off and have them return to their usual positions for the remainder of the night." He glanced up at the three Vampires standing across from him and smirked, "Nothing to be found here. I made certain of that, myself."
There was a stunned silence over the line before the clearly distraught guard insisted, "But.... sir, every guard including myself had been rendered unconscious! And the alarm system-"
Jameson cut him off with a stern, "I know about the alarm system and have placed a call for maintenance to look into it first thing in the morning. While the rest of you were sleeping on the job, I took the time to ensure that everything was fine."
Shaking his head, he offered, "If you wish to press the matter and delay my catching up on some much needed sleep, I doubt that any of your agency supervisors would be thrilled to hear the report on your dependability that I'll be drawing up in the next minute."
Another pause followed, but it was quickly filled by the sound of a throat being cleared before the young man in charge said nervously, "Yes, sir. I'll see that everyone returns to their posts immediately. Good night." The audible click at the end of the call brought on nearly missed sighs from the three Infected waiting by.
Leaning heavily back in his leather chair, Marcellus adjusted the collar of his white robe that he had pulled on to be somewhat decent for his company.
"Now," he began with the same confidence that he would carry were he delivering a seminar while wearing one of his many fine suits, "I need to know that the man you are after is indeed the same client who has been watching me ever since our little business arrangement had been made."
Folding his arms, the weapons expert stated, "My clients are very wealthy, very powerful and very private. To disclose any information into who I make my dealings with goes against my practice, save for the one who may be more of an enemy than a friend to me. Prove we are after the same person and I will tell you everything that I know about them."
Not needing to be told twice, Heero stepped towards the oak desk and slid an image of the blade that Charles and John had found towards the burly man. "The client had this piece of a weapon made to cut through walls. If it's yours, we're on the same page."
Jameson stared long and hard at the picture. Taking a deep breath, he nodded firmly, "It's mine."
Finally lifting his head high to appraise all the Vampires watching him, he suggested, "Make yourselves comfortable. I do not know what little I have to share will be enough to find this son of a bitch, but you'll hear it all. We're going to be here a while."
TBC...
Back to SkyLark's Fanfictions Page