Coalition of the Damned - 03 (2 page)

“
Oui
. As far as we know,” Thorn continued. “But since I did not break the seal on the conscription, and I represent the
Lamia Beastia
—”

“Right, you may be able to fight him off, I follow you on that,” Tufo finished for him. “But, back to when this guy was made, okay? At the same time…or about the same time, this Roman guard that stabbed Christ with the spear of destiny… Claudius Maximus Veranus? He would be the granddaddy of all werewolves, correct?” Thorn nodded in agreement. “So…wouldn’t he be able to call up
all
the werewolves in the world if he wanted to? Through the blood, or through the howling or some goody-goody supernatural bullshit like that?” Tufo asked.

Jack turned to Mitchell who raised his eyebrows. Jack shrugged.

“If this Roman guy could somehow call up all the werewolves, we might be able to add some serious muscle to this army of ours,” Tufo stated the obvious. “And we might just be able to offer a surprise knock-out punch to this Sicarii…you know, just in case Plan A and Plan B happen to shit the bed.”

Thorn stepped over to Tufo and embraced him. “
Exactement
!” He kissed Tufo on each cheek then turned to Mitchell leaving the Gunny wide-eyed and in shock. “This is a most
excellent
of ideas!”

Jack leaned over to Mitchell. “Maybe this is what Nadia was talking about, eh, Skipper? Maybe me bringing Tufo in with us IS what saves our asses and the world?”

Mitchell rolled his eyes. “Don’t go there. Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while.”

“Okay then. How do we find this ancient Roman dude?” Apollo asked.

Thorn stepped forward. “I think I know a way.”

*****

“I don’t think I like this idea,” Jack said as Nadia repacked her bags. “You just got here.”

Nadia was packing a small travel bag and left the larger part of her luggage stacked away. “It is only for a few days, Jack. I will be back very soon.”

Jack looked away to keep from getting upset. “But why you? Surely someone else could go,” he stated more than asked.

“My father asked me to do this, Jack. It must be for a re
ason,” she said without looking at him. She searched the room and finally found her hiking boots. Stuffing them into the side of her bag, she finally turned to address him. “Mother will be going with me as well. Father would not send the both of us anyplace dangerous,” she said softly, her mouth slowly curving into a smile. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled herself to him tightly.

“Your dad doesn’t like me,” Jack muttered. “I can’t help but think he’s sending you off just to keep us apart.”

“That is nonsense, Jack,” Nadia clucked, kissing him on his chin. “Father accepts you. We are mated.”

Jack looked down at her, one eyebrow raised. “Something tells me that if we weren’t mated, he’d gladly eviscerate me.”

She inhaled sharply in shock, “Jack! You shouldn’t say such things. Father is many things, but he’s not a murderer.”

“Yes, he is, my dear,” her mother corrected, walking through her door unannounced. “He is a Lycan of the First Order and he has killed many, many times in his long lifetime.”

“Mother!” Nadia exclaimed. “There is a difference in killing to defend and murdering.”

“Killing is killing, my love. You know that,” Natashia purred as she stretched out on Nadia’s bed. Jack couldn’t help but notice that her mother still had a seductive look in her eye. “Your father, I believe,
enjoys
killing,” she added absently. “Perhaps that’s what makes him such an efficient Lycan?”

“You are horrible to say such a thing, mother.” Nadia grabbed the last of her things and unceremoniously shoved them into her bag. “Father would be appalled.”

“Not if it’s true,” Natashia said absently. “So, Jack, where are you and your people scampering off to while we traverse Europe?”

Jack gave Natashia a withering look and stiffened when she sucked on her lower lip in a most seductive manner. He gathered himself and informed her, “I believe that Viktor is heading to Vatican City, Colonel Mitchell is going to D.C. and my team is headed to Canada and then to Newfoundland—”

“Newfoundland? Good heavens! Whatever for?” she asked sarcastically.

“We need to have a talk with the wee folk,” Jack said. “Find out if they’ll assist us in our fight against the Sicarii. And, ma
ybe they can help us reach the New World Elves.”

“Oh, for the love of…” She trailed off. “You might as well ask them to just show up and kill themselves,” she spat.

Now it was Jack’s turn to be shocked. “Why would you say that, Natashia?”

“The wee folk? They’re the peace people!” She laughed. “They’d no sooner fight than…well, anything!” She laughed again. Suddenly she sobered. “But the elves. Now that’s a good idea. They are mean wee beasties. And if you can get the New World Greater Elves into the fight?” She shook her head. “Bloodthirsty savages…they are worse than gnomes because they are crafty…and very
large
.”

Jack gave her a sideways stare. “Sounds like you’ve got a bit of experience dealing with them.”

“More than a bit, my dear boy,” she answered him, coming to her feet. “Much more than just a bit.” She turned her attention to Nadia. “Are you ready, my dear?”

Nadia shouldered her bag and nodded. “I am. Just…give me a moment to say goodbye to Jack.”

“Don’t take too long. We have a grandpappy werewolf to find,” she practically sang as she slipped out the door.

“She seems so flippant about this,” Jack said. “I don’t like it.”

“She will be fine,” Nadia assured him.

She pulled him close to her and inhaled his manly scent. She could smell his aftershave with its hint of sandalwood and pine. She had always loved the smell and had given some to Rufus for his birthday many years ago to help hide the scent of death on him, but on Jack, it took on a whole new life of its own. She loved the smell of him and wrapped her arms tightly around him. “I will watch her closely, I promise.”

Jack held her tightly. “Who is going to watch out for you?”

“Mother, of course.”

Jack laughed. “That’s what I was afraid you’d say.”

*****

Dominic stood in awe with the silver slugs still biting into the flesh of his hands. The dark vampire sitting across from him on the pile of rubble was at least patient. Dom holstered his pistol and none of the minions tried to stop him. What would be the use? It held no more ammunition. It may as well have been a plastic hammer.

“So? Are you ready to discuss a few things, Mr. DeGiac
omo?” the dark vampire asked softly.

Dom set his jaw, ready to spit out yet another smart assed reply, but the silver bullets biting into his hands reminded him that this was no ordinary vampire he was facing. “Maybe,” he answered. “But cooperation is a two way street.”

The dark vampire raised an eyebrow. “Ah. I see. You wish to gather information as well, yes?” he chuckled.

Dom noticed that the other vampires standing guard around them weren’t laughing with him this time. They seemed to slo
wly drop back into the shadows of the night. He knew they were still there, watching the two of them, but they were giving the illusion that they were alone.

“Yeah, something like that,” Dom said. “You want som
ething from me, I want something from you.”

“You want your freedom,” the vampire stated.

“Fuck you,” Dom shot back. “You don’t get it, do you? I already wrote myself off as soon as that little traitorous turd from the cell pointed my own fucking gun to my temple. I don’t give two shits about freedom.”

“Yes you do. Your lies taste like acid in the back of my mouth,” the vampire replied softly.

“Oh they do, do they? Well again, fuck you,” Dom shot back. “If you plan to cut me loose to deliver your message, then I plan to milk as much information from you as I can.”

“There! Now that is an honest answer,” Sicarii said with a touch of glee. “But how can you know if the answers I give to your questions are as honest?”

“Because vampires as old as you have egos bigger than your... pride,” Dom stated, careful not to say what he really thought. “You’re too proud to lie and you think that no matter what you tell me, it won’t change anything anyway. You could spill the entire fucking pot of beans and little old me couldn’t do a damn thing about it.”

The Sicarii thought about Dom’s words a moment and then stood from the rubble. “You are absolutely correct,” he said thoughtfully. “Not so much in your assumptions, but in the fact that no matter what I tell you, you and your people can do not
hing to stop me.”

“See?” Dom replied. “Your arrogance is so big I’m su
rprised you aren’t tripping over it.”

The Sicarii stopped and looked at Dom with his smug grin and simply shook his head. “Perhaps once I reveal to you what I need for you to do, you will realize…it is not ego, not arrogance. It is power. Pure power.” The dark vampire turned toward the open window and the silver moon in the sky. “When this world is mine and the humans that are left realize that they are nothing more than breeding stock for food…then you can tell me again how big my ego is.” He turned back to Dom. “Is that acceptable to you, Mr. DeGiacomo?”

Dom stared at the crazy vampire and shook his head. “Okay, fine,” he snapped back. “And when my team tears your ass into itty-bitty pieces and hands it back to you on a plate, you can tell me again how your Bulldog mouth didn’t over-bark your Pekingese ass, okay?”

The dark vampire smiled, then chuckled and finally broke into heavy laughter. When the laughter slowed, he approached Dominic. “I think I like you, Mr. DeGiacomo. You have
heart
!”

“It’s called
balls
, bloodsucker,” Dom muttered.

The dark vampire glanced at him sideways. “Yes. That too!” He placed a hand on Dom’s shoulder and directed him out to the courtyard where the table and benches were. “This way, please. We shall sit and discuss the future.”

“Oh, you mean how my team and I are going to stop you from doing whatever the hell it is you’re doing and make you wish you had stayed in the shadows?” Dom said. “Sure, let’s do that.”

“Yes, let us do that.” The dark vampire directed Dom to the bench and waited while he gingerly sat. It was obvious that he was in great pain. “Would you like something to drink? A meal, perhaps? Some pain killers?” he offered. “Before we begin?”

“Naw, I’m fine. Let’s get this show on the road,” Dom said, trying hard to sound tough, but wishing like hell he had at least a bottle of water.

The dark vampire looked to the side, into the darkened shadows and snapped his fingers. Dom didn’t turn his head to watch, but someone brought him a bottle of water and a can of soda along with a bowl of fruit. “In case you change your mind,” the dark vampire explained. “Now, before we begin in earnest, I have a few questions for you, Mr. DeGiacomo.”

“And I have a few for you.” He opened the bottle of water.

“My pilot tells me that you have people working on a wea
pon. A weapon that targets
only
vampires?”

Dom stared at the dark vampire blankly, putting on his best poker face. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, Mr. DeGiacomo, your lies leave such an acidic taste in the back of my mouth. It is most unsavory,” Sicarii winced.

“Sorry, bub. No idea what you’re chattering about.” Dom shrugged.

“My pilot claims that you were most
talkative
on the plane before you were knocked unconscious…” he trailed off.

Dom continued to stare at the vampire and finally sighed. “Fuck, Momma always said I talked too much when I was ner
vous.”

“I’m sure she did.” The vampire nodded. Dom lowered his head and stared at the table. “So, tell me more about this wea
pon.”

Dom shrugged his shoulders. “Who knows?” He looked up and met the vampire’s gaze. “Seriously. I have no clue what it is or how it works. I just heard Doc talking about it. Said it targets natural born vampires.” He watched the dark vampire studying him in the silvery light, assessing his truthfulness. “It was just an offhand comment he made and before he could go into any d
etail, the boss told him to drop it.”

The dark vampire nodded. “What other weaponry do your teams employ against our kind?”

“You mean besides silver bullets?” Dom asked. “That don’t work anymore,” he added. He took a deep breath and thought about it for a moment. “Well, let’s see. We have UV phosphorus grenades. Those are lots of fun. Turns a vampire to ash and gives us a real nice tan all at the same time.” He shot a toothy grin at the vampire for effect.

“What else?”

“What difference does it make?” Dom asked. “Who the fuck
are
you, anyway? And why do you care what armaments we have? Aren’t you the asshole that was testing us? You should know what shit we use anyway.”