Days had passed and I was eventually approved to enter HQ. I was accompanied by Beth and Dave, who had been busy on a mission during the last invasion by the ‘demonic entities’ they call witches. He had arrived a few days ago and was ordered to be a part of my escort to HQ. Beth seemed nervous and Dave kept telling me to stay calm. Quite frankly it was boring and uneventful. The escort van looked more like a military grade armored transport vehicle with seats that faced each other. It also had barred windows that were also painted black. Probably wanting to keep the road to their precious HQ, a secret. I didn’t care. I decided to get some shut eye as the past few days were tiresome.
We had a couple more attacks from the forest after the witch incident. But none were as destructive and powerful as the witches. I got to see what the ‘other’ creatures really were. There was a huge bear that had human like features and stood up to 7 feet tall. It growled and snarled. But then screamed human words like ‘die’ and ‘eat’. They told me that the bear used to be human at one time. They called them Lycanthropes or Lycans for short. It was surprising in a way to know that Lycans extended over animals other than wolves. I joked if there was a ‘Count Dracula’ in Transylvania, but was met with a concerning reply stating that ‘He’ was not to be discussed about openly. What have I got myself into.
But, I got to find out that my Alpha blade was also effective against most creatures, especially the Lycans. But Samantha explained that, even though my knife was effective, it would still need to stab the heart to be lethal. On the other hand, their specially processed silver was lethal wherever it hit the target. Moonlight endowed silver, they called it. I wasn’t cleared for that information, but Samantha hinted that it required a full moon when the moonlight is at its strongest. Interesting. I wondered what would happen if I could process my Alpha blade with the same technique. Thoughts trailed off as we started to slow down.
“We’ve just crossed into HQ territory.”
Beth explained as she took hint of me perking up as a reaction to the jeep slowing down. I realized that she had been observing me this whole time. Was it personal or was it orders. Who knows and quite frankly, it didn’t matter to me. I expected as much coming here.
“Do you bring every newcomer to the HQ?”
“No, you’re a special case Jack. The people on top are quite interested in you.”
“Just so that you know. I hate surprise parties.”
Beth looked at me with a slight nod and a very faint grin. She clearly wasn’t concerned about my little threat. That tells me that not many in this organization would even consider the notion of me causing any kind of trouble for them or to the organization. It shows they have high confidence in themselves or more so towards the organization and their HQ. That sparked some interest for me. They clearly stated that they weren’t with the government. So where are they getting all these military grade equipment from? Where are they getting the money from? Questions popped up in my head like menacing weed. My thoughts started to race away when I suddenly heard a somewhat cheerful voice.
“Keeping yourself amused?”
I glanced over to face Samantha sitting across me. She was also tagging along on this visit. Something about reporting directly to HQ about an incident. She was looking straight at me with a smile and deepened eyes that seemed to look straight through mine. As if trying to read my mind somehow.
“Maybe. At least this band of wannabe Buffy the Vampire Hunter gang is amusing enough.”
“Slayer, its Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”
Surprisingly it was Dave who was sitting across the other side, who struck a nerve on that comment. But not on what I’d expected on. Actually, I wasn’t expecting anything from him. But he was adamant on correcting me on the name for a late 90s tv show. But, he continued his ranting.
“Also, don’t you think we’ve shown you enough to gain some sort of respect on what we do?”
“What you do?”
I raised an eyebrow slightly to show my disagreement in that matter. That got Dave deep as he started to rant on in a fit of rage.
“The past few weeks you’ve seen us fight demonic beings and creatures of the dark! We are laying our lives here! You think you’re better than us!?”
“All I’ve seen from the past few weeks is a bunch of under trained amateurs trying to fend off a few dozen creatures. You’re casualty rate is too high and your fighting methods are inefficient. To sum it all up, yes its amusing to me.”
I blurted out some of my thoughts and evaluation of the camp and its residence of ‘fighters’. It turned a switch in Dave as he glared at me with mad burning anger. I ignored it and kept going on.
“Laying your lives? Don’t make me laugh. You’re throwing your lives more like. I fought a horde of what you call ‘skin walkers’ by myself and I won. You struggled to fight one lycan bear thing and it wiped out a dozen of your men in a single attack. You say that you are a civilian run operation but all these military equipment says otherwise. The more I see it the more I’m convinced that this is another secret government run bullshit that is failing miserably.”
“Why you mother….!”
That broke Dave I guess. He blasted out of his seat and jumped towards me, with arms extended. I felt his two huge hands wrap around my throat as he attacked me in a fit of rage. I just denied his entire life that he was too clearly very proud of.
“We are a civilian run operation! The government did nothing for us! You bastard, you think its easy to trade for the equipment we use in this fight!? You think its easy to recruit victims to fight against everything out there!?
Stolen novel; please report.
“David!”
It was Samantha that stopped the fighting. Or the strangling more like. I looked up at her while on my back with Dave on top strangling me. I felt his grip loosen as he got off me and went back to his seat. I rubbed my neck with a slight cough as I glanced over to a not so happy Samantha.
“Well played Jack.”
“You didn’t give me much of a choice.”
Dave, too late coming back to his senses, suddenly realized what was happening. He wasn’t as stupid as he came on to be. He looked at me and then shook his head.
“You bastard, you did that on purpose.”
And that was it. Dave stayed silent after that, but he looked much more calm and secure than before. His recovery from rage to composure and rational thinking was very impressive. Of course, Samantha already knew and was unhappy and somewhat impressed at the same time. But, now I had some real information to use.
“So, you recruit victims that have been attacked or lost someone to those things. Like me.”
I started, still rubbing my neck from the strangulation by Dave earlier. Samantha sighed as she shook her head. She smirked at me once and then looked me in the eye with a serious and concerning look.
“I was a victim when they recruited me. Yes, most are victims but not all. But, its not like what you think Jack. We offer them revenge and closure in our own way. No one is forcing anyone to join the cause.”
“Yeah, I’m sure no one is buying into the ‘Uncle Sam wants you’ bullshit.”
I didn’t like the idea that they had victims out there fighting a high casualty battle against things that normal people are not ready to face. They tap on your emotions, your thirst for revenge and blood. I would know. If they came to me right after I lost Sarah, I would have been like Dave by now.
“You disapprove. I get it, I really do Jack. But the matter of the fact is that someone needs to do it and everyone is onboard with this. No one in our camps are forced to fight.”
“Why not the government? The Military would be more than equipped to fight these things.”
“We tried. But we failed Jack.”
Samantha replied with obvious look of distaste and bitterness. Something told me that the government is already in on the action and not the way I thought they would. But before I could probe further into this question I had to stop and wait for another time. We had finally arrived at HQ.
The building facility was situated in the middle of a forest that was nowhere. Nothing could be seen but trees for miles on. It was heavily fortified and a few towers up above seem to cover the place from outside detection. All of this was in now way accessible to civilians let alone normal military branches even. Those rose questions again in my head as I felt something very shady, under all this, is going on. As we made ourselves to what seemed to be the main building a tall Caucasian man may be in his early 40s, with dark blonde hair greeted us. He looked straight at me.
“Mr. Jack Stein, welcome to Operations HQ. I am Aiden Peterson head of security here. Please come with me.”
Introducing himself as head of security, he led me away from the others. Everyone was in uniform here and that told me a lot. It was more unified and organized. Everything gave off paramilitary like vibes. Though there weren’t any actual ranks visible, it would not feel strange if they did. Peterson led me to a large room full of decorative sculptures and paintings. A very generic room that screamed military leader or a classic narcissist.
“I know what you’re think Mr. Stein. This looks very much like a cliché of a shady paramilitary leader’s office room?”
“You read my mind.”
I turned around to face a man that looked and felt nothing of the sort. He was an African American man in his late 50s. Slim but well built, as he stood tall and straight. There was a sense of powerful presence with him. A natural leader type. Dangerous and one to lookout for. I look into his deep dark eyes, but I saw nothing.
“Names, Elijah Owens. I oversee things here.”
“Jack…. I’m just passing through.”
We shake hands and I can feel a tight grip. A smile on his lips and deep descending eyes that tries to dig into your very soul and uncover everything that makes you whole. But fortunately for me. That part is empty. So nothing to dig up and nothing to uncover. Wrong move Elijah Owens. A smile back as our hand part ways and back at each other’s side.
“I was hoping to convince you to stay a bit longer with us. Your story was much of interest.”
“Which part?”
Owens clasped his hands behind him as he turned around to walk towards a huge desk that lay in the middle of the room. I followed him with my eyes as he stood over his desk and then proceeded to take a bunch of paper off the top. He stared at the documents for a second and turned to face me again.
“Your encounter with the Skin walkers. Our cleanup team had their hands full, taking care of the hundreds of skin walker bodies you left in your trail of destruction.”
“I try.”
“Your explosive finale at the police station was of much talk among the cleanup crew as it was over here. But the most concerning detail was what they found inside the police station.”
They must be talking about the Ascended Alpha, my target zero and a doppelganger. When it died it didn’t revert back to a Skin walker, but more of something in between a human and Skin walker. It looked almost like….
“A hybrid Mr. Stein.”
I snap out of thought to look at Owens, who was now staring directly at me with a stern concerning look in his face. We wanted to know what I saw. He wanted to know what they were dealing with. He wanted to know. I smirked as he continued.
“The Skin walker that was found near you resembled a human being. We both know that the skin walkers revert back to their pale rotting form after death. But this one, a hive leader, did not. It retained some traits of its human guise… to be honest Mr. Stein, it is most troubling.”
“Is that why you brought me here? To interrogate information from me”
I smirked again with sarcasm. Owens looked at me for a moment. Then he slightly nodded. I didn’t know if it was a nod of confession and acknowledging my accusation or something else. But he continued in a calm manner.
“I know that you are skeptical about us. I saw the reports from the incidents at Sector 21. What you saw and how you saw our people.”
“….”
“You are not here to be interrogated by any means. You are here because I wanted to sweet talk you into joining our cause. But I can see that you are not a man to fall for such cajolery.”
I stood there without replying. I was contemplating on my next move. Things are turning out a little differently to what I anticipated. But maybe Owens saw my silence as a sign of hesitation. He approached a few steps towards me.
“There is not much we can offer you. We can offer you the means and support you need to accomplish your goals.”
“My goals?”
“Yes, Mr. Stein. That is why you came here rather peacefully. You wanted to see if we had the power and materials to supply you in your endeavors to eradicate the Skin walker species for good… isn’t that right?”
I look at him surprisingly. I thought he would coax me to let on some information about the Doppelganger or something. But no. He decided to wait it out. Give me what I want and get what he wants gradually. A man of will and tolerance. Dangerous.
“I’ll stick around, for now. But I want information and access to all your sectors and supplies.”
“Naturally. There is one condition on our side. Everything you kill is ours to take care of.”
“Naturally.”
I repeated his words with a grin. He gave a short burst of smile and extended his hand out towards me. A handshake to seal the deal. That was it. I was officially a part of the organization.
“By the way… is there a name for this organization I am temporarily joining?”
“We don’t have any fancy names like the CIA or FBI and such. But we like to call our selves the Hunters Guild.”
“The Hunters Guild?”
They have all these people and assets, but they couldn’t even come up with an original name and call themselves as some sort of guild. I shook my head slightly and proceeded to walk out of the office. Owens stood there and watched me leave with a smile that expressed his approval of this situation. Well, we all make bad decisions and some how I felt that this was one of them. I sure hope it’s the last.