Chapter Five
Walking into the common area which was really just a large stadium type room with couches and entertainment setups on one side and ten or so tables set up on the other. In the center was a platform surrounded by large surveillance monitors. You could see the compound inside and out but also the town. Blake was a red hat hacker. He was a vigilante of the digital community; he would hack for justice and a predetermined cause of the times.
I had meet Blake a few years ago on one of my trips to the east coast. I found him holed up with a small group who were trying to fight back against a group of ghouls. Unfortunately, out of the seven only Blake and his sister Tiffany made it out that day. I took them in and gave them purpose again.
"Hey ma what's up?" Blake winked at me as he turned around in his chair slouching down in his chair spreading his legs his hand resting across his lap. Blake was a six-foot mocha toned God. His stubble dusted across his face had my heart skipping. He was handsome but all these sexy men around me couldn't keep the demon from my mind which was putting me in a foul mood.
"Hey Daddy," I greeted with my normal response. He smirked at me turning back around to the screens as I walked up beside him placing one of my hands on the back of his chair leaning over his shoulder putting my other hand on the desk as I am watching him work. Code was running across the screen faster than I could make it out, but Blake didn't slow down.
"Chief will be here shortly to brief you, but last night I came across this footage." He played a video across the screen. It was the town about forty miles east of here. For the past six years it had been completely emptied everyone had left to find protection elsewhere. Right on the main street a group of ten humans were running toward the square only to be cut off by a convoy of black escalades. Blocking their way demons began exiting the vehicles. They didn't even wait to exchange words just attacking savagely.
This was a big deal because we were all supposed to be under a treaty of peace, but these demons were still steadily out here killing humans and other creatures alike. "Wait pause it!" I looked shocked, "Is that a ghoul?" I looked to the left, "That is a...."
"Hell Hound?" I turned to see the Chief approaching us. "Yes, that is why I called you here." He set a file down and walked over to the screen, Dustin following behind him. I hadn't even noticed he had walked away. "We all know the severity of the situation if the witches who have created these ghouls are creating an alliance with the Hell Hound owners."
Ghouls were like the undead they are corpses that have been brought back from the dead by a witch. Hell hounds are summoned by a master demon to do their bidding. Usually, to drag a soul back to their owner or execute an escaped soul. Neither of these two creatures operates on their own. On their own they aren't much of a threat, easy to take down, but together.
"As much as I need you here, I feel like this can't wait. I am giving you seventy-two hours to get to the bottom of this. Take your team to the town and take care of this."
"Seventy-two hours?" He has to be joking. There was no way.
"That is an order, Miss Winter."
"Yes Sir," I slouched against the desk as the Chief walked away. "Dustin get the men together we leave in thirty." He nodded not giving me any grief knowing I wasn't in the mood to be pushed.
"On the plus I did track them as far as I could with the cameras." Blake turned my attention back to the screens in time to see the convoy heading into the back parking garage of an abandoned hospital.
"I am sure it would be too much to ask to have the video footage inside that hospital." I half laughed half sighed.
"Sorry no," he typed something then a blueprint of the hospital came up on the screen. "I was able to get the complete blueprints of the building though." He smiled at me like the genus he was.
"I fucking love you." I smiled at him.
After getting the blueprint and other intel from Blake I headed back to my room to gear up. Walking in I sighed in exhaustion. All this time I have never been able to find any peace, but it never got to me like it was at this moment. I was tired of watching people die and killing those that gave me no choice.
I just couldn't figure out where everything went so left. The old world seems like a long lost fairy tale, but every now and then I have dreams or when I was young playing on the playground with my father chasing after me. Children growing up now wouldn't even know what a playground is.
I buckled my combat belt on tied the straps of my holsters to my legs. Finishing strapping up Dustin stuck his head into my room.
"Ready?" I nodded grabbing my bag and vest.
Walking into the garage I saw all my men standing around checking their weapons. I had such a strong bond with all of these men. We were a family. My heart froze over to protect me from the thoughts of any of them not making it back with me. I would not let it come true. Somehow, I would will it into being.
"Alright men. Dustin has briefed you on our mission." They all stood to attention at the sound of my voice addressing them.
"Ma'am Yes Ma'am."
"Good, look we have been through many battles together, but I won't like this time we are facing a more organized and viler enemy." I paced in front of them they were all looking back with pride and respect.
It wasn't always like that. I remember a time when I was back in basic when I was picked on and rode hard. Hazing is what they called it.
"Grenade!" The dust was so thick in the air I could barely see my own team in front of me. We were making our way through the enemy's compound. I could hear growling and men screaming in terror. My heart was racing, and my body was covered in sweat. The explosion of the grenade had us moving.
"Move, Move, Move! Now go." We all moved in sync weapons at the ready clearing the area as we made our way through the rubble. My Sargent grabbed the back strap of my vest as I passed him bringing up the back yelling orders.
Then the fireworks started. "Halister one o'clock, take it out." Sargent moved us to cover as Halister tried to make his way up the stairs to take out the enemy's gunner. We covered him as he went, but halfway up he took a bullet going down. I looked around at the chaos my team was suffering. They were trapped down taking gun fire. I could hear their screams along with Halister's moans of pain and something inside of me snapped.
I took off despite my Sargent trying to pull me back. I escaped his grasp and ran up the stairs. I knelt down to Halister. He had taken a bullet to his left thigh. I pulled off my belt to use as a torniquet. "Winter, don't leave me." He was scared. I pushed him back down to get him to let go of my vest.
"I will be right back just stay down." I couldn't wait to argue I got up and moved up the stairs. Bullets pinged against the rails next to me as I was under fire. At the top of the stairs, I kicked in the door and knelt down to make myself a smaller target and I fired at the gunner. He growled throwing his gun down taking my bullets like they weren't anything. I watched as his face stretched back over razor sharp teeth and claws at the ready, he charged me. I was grabbed claws ripping at my vest. He threw me across the room.
My adreniline was pumping counter attacked wrapping my leg around the back of his knee before punching him in the gut sending him down to the ground. In an instant I was on top of him knife at the ready I sliced across his throught. His eyes once ready started dulling out. I watched as the last breath left his body. I was frozen.
It was my first kill. I killed him.
"Winter!" I was pulled off the demon by my Sargent. "Winter focus." He brought my gaze up to his. Tapping my face, I came to. "It's war. Us or them! Do you understand soldier." I nodded. He knew what I was going through. They all did. I grabbed my weapon and got back in formation. The rest of my team had made it up to us. Private Rakes what carrying a limping Halister into the room before setting him down.
"Bravo, building cleared." the other part of our team reported back over the radio. I looked around in relief as my team was looking at me with new respect.
After that day my team never hazed me again. I was let into the family. Now years later I was responsible for all of their lives. Halister was sitting in the back of one our trucks listening to me give orders. He had aged a lot since then, but we have always had each other's back ever since I saved his life.
"Load up let's head out." I ordered. Everyone was in a we were heading out in seconds. My nerves were on edge, and something felt very off about this time compared to all the others.