Earth – World of The Misplaced Dungeon.
{Timeline: Start: Some time after Werewolves and Vampires! Oh My – MD Ch. 92}
Early February 2019
Otis Denver shook the figurative dust of the FBI’s Paranormal Division from his heels. He had done his best to serve the people of the United States but he had been balked at every turn.
That bitch the director had vetoed almost all his suggestions. It was revolting how people who had been betrayed by this so called System were being treated. They were still citizens, there was no call for this harsh form of imprisonment without trial.
The worst thing was that director Perez agreed that most of the people whose rights were being so brutally infringed on were victims. They were not responsible for their actions.
They had forced him to resign as deputy director, it was that or be shunted sideways into impotent obscurity. Well he’d show them. He had already reached out to some of his allies in the Senate and Congress. Now he had to furnish proof. Proof of this administrations brutality, expose them via the cold glare of public opinion and the press.
Otis descended the stairs leading to the front door of the building, unaware of the disdainful looks of the guard watching leave through the window of the lobby.
Otis got into the chauffer driven limousine for the last time. Another spurt of rage rose in his throat at the upcoming loss of privileges he was being forced to endure due to Perez’s intransigence.
Early April 2019
Otis checked his notes. He sighed, his informers had been quite clear. He truly hated what was being done to all those kids. At least they weren’t just being killed out of hand like Walker had suggested. But this was torture pure and simple. Well the time had come for them to do something about it.
He entered the room they were using for their meetings and noted with satisfaction that Tober had just finished checking the room for bugs and was setting up the little white noise generator against the window.
Otis nodded a greeting to Tober and Lilly as he took his place at the table. They sat and chatted amiably while waiting for the other members of their little conspiracy to turn up.
When, finally all were present Otis handed round the plans he had obtained.
“Let us admit that this will be dangerous, the poor people currently being held have been savagely mistreated. We need to document their suffering and hopefully wake one up and interview him.”
“Are you sure that’s wise Otis. I know the utterings of the so called experts seem ludicrous but there might be something to their warnings,” suggested Tober.
“That’s ridiculous, I can’t believe you’re taking anything those publicity hunters say,” stated Lilly.
Otis sighed, “Unfortunately there is some truth in their statements. But the victims are mostly young and I refuse to believe that things are as bad as portrayed. That is why I believe that we have to do something. What about you Gully? Do you have your sources lined up.”
“Yes, soon as we get something they’ll go on air. They desperately want something to embarrass the administration.”
The small group seated around the table shared a triumphant look.
“Do we have a team ready to infiltrate the Atlanta vampire detention centre yet? What about blood?” asked Otis.
“All sorted. We’ve managed to, erm, persuade one of the victim’s boyfriends to put together a team to go in. He’s agreed to escort Joe Buckley so he can film the inhuman conditions the inmates are being held under. Especially since that religious bigot has been placed in charge of the detention centres.”
“Thank you Gully. When will this go down?”
“Soon Otis, the days of the full moon are starting the day after tomorrow. Two of them are werewolves so they will be ready after they are released from their three day detention.”
Mid/Late April 2019
Joe Buckley checked his equipment. He grinned at the thought of the scoop he was going to make. And it didn’t hurt that it would hurt the current administration. He looked up as the car he was travelling stopped. He got out and looked round. It looked like any other road in downtown Atlanta. Nothing hinted that the small office block just down the road was one of the vampire detention centres.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
He grinned, its anonymity was its greatest defence but Otis Denver had given them all the details they needed. He slung his camera onto his shoulder and started filming.
Joe grinned again as the two jocks moved forward, their letter jackets were splitting at the seams as the werewolves in their beastman forms stalked forward growling softly. Joe shook his head to himself at the stupidity of wearing such visible and identifying garments on a mission like this.
Behind the two monsters moved the girl in the black dress and pointed witch’s hat. Her black cat moved seemingly unconcerned behind her keeping its mistress between it and the two monsters.
Then the street lights flickered and went out. Joe grinned again. Otis’ hacker had succeeded. This was the signal that the centre’s electronic security had been disabled.
Then Boris and Karloff, well those were his names for them, raced forward and threw themselves at the front door. It shattered and flew into the building as the two morons went chasing after it. Their witch ran after them a spell flickering around her hands. Joe followed hurriedly.
The cat caught the scent of something that disturbed it. He arched his back and fluffed his tail before hissing at the open door and slinking off into the shadows to hide.
The two guards who had been trying to contact their tech support and sound the alarm were completely surprised when the front door caved in and the two werewolves came charging in. They grabbed for their weapons and were caught by the witch’s spell. They fell unconscious.
Joe made sure to film them, as proof that they were alive and well. Boris or maybe it was Karloff charged through the inner door not even bothering to check if it was locked.
They made their way to the morgue. Joe acting as tail end Charlie.
= = O = =
Saul was working on the monthly backups when the lights failed. His heart jumped into his mouth, he hated this place. Frankly he thought that the damned vampires should be cremated. The System didn’t hold out any hope for their recovery. And the ancient ones did sort of gain intelligence but they weren’t the same person.
Then he heard the front door being smashed in. He hurried to the emergency room and fumbled until the generator started. Then he trotted to the emergency switches. He cursed and sweated with fright as he realized they were still cut off. At least he could switch on the anti-vampire sun lights.
Safe! He was Safe. He bit his lip, then trembling he opened the door. The room was empty. He hurried to the emergency switches and switched on the rooms sun lights. Then taking a deep breath to gather his courage he opened the door to the hall. The two guards were sprawled on the floor.
Gathering all the scraps of courage he possessed Saul hurried to the closest of the guards, grabbing hin by the armpits he struggled to pull the big man into the room he had just come from. Then he wiped his brow, took another breath and forced himself to go to the other guard.
He had barely reached the man when the screaming started. Saul cast a deer in the headlights style look at the broken inner door before catching himself and forcing himself to grab the guard and start dragging him to safety.
He had nearly reached safety when a flicker of unnatural movement caught his attention. Saul whimpered in terror but kept going as the glowing red-eyed desiccated corpse eyed him. He had almost finished getting the guard into the room when the thing rushed them and grabbed the guard’s foot.
Saul ignored the thing’s hissing and sobbing kept pulling despite the Thing pulling both of them towards itself. Then the guard’s shoe popped of and Saul found himself on his bottom in the well lit room. He scrambled backwards still pulling the unconscious man.
The thing darted into the room where it seemed to boil. Screaming it turned and fled collapsing half in the room. The part in the room seemed to boil and disintegrate. Suddenly hopeful Saul dragged the hissing screaming thing into the room and slammed the door shut. He collapsed and sobbed with terror even as he watched the thing turn into foul smelling scraps and dust.
= = O = =
Joe Buckley scurried after the trio, Boris’ words from a few days ago were suddenly running through his mind. ‘My BettySue was careful; she chose to become a two hundred year old master vampire. She chose that despite knowing it would make it near impossible to level up. But at two hundred vamps become sentient. The system says so.’
Joe had a horrible feeling that he was missing something. It sounded good, a master vamp could control lesser vamps and if she was sentient then it would be BettySue, right?
Then Boris and Karloff were barrelling through the door to the holding room. The guard in the room tasered Boris or possibly Karloff before the witch hit him with her sleep spell. Joe grinned as he looked round the room. And with perfect timing the building’s generator came to life allowing him to film the bank of morgue style drawers that covered one of the walls.
The tasered werewolf recovered rapidly, they started opening drawers. All the occupants looked long dead, and they were chained up. The chains were liberally festooned with crosses.
The three members of the Alpha Pack started removing the crosses. Boris ripped the chains of BettySue. Then he opened a pack of blood and tried pouring it into her mouth. Nothing happened. BettySue didn’t stir. Nor did the other vampires the pack tried to give blood.
Joe was starting to become discouraged, it was starting to look like his scoop was going to fizzle out.
Boris roared with frustration, he turned and grabbed the unconscious guard and held him over BettySue, still nothing. But when he nicked the guard with his claw, BettySue’s eyes snapped open and she latched onto the guard. Sated she hurled the half dead man aside. Unfortunately for him he landed across two drawers waking their contents.
The vampires started coming alive as the scent of blood and death hit them, then they were swarming mindlessly forwards.
Joe made the connection when he saw the rage and greed shining in the eyes of BettySue but without a scrap of intelligence. It was his last despairing thought as he and his companions provided blood and life for several rampaging vampires.
* * *
BettySue led her pack out into the night, careful to avoid the room where her scout perished. With animal cunning she located a safe place several kilometres from their former prison.