Supernatural Earth Pt. 05

Emily half shrugged. "When you have eternity to play around with, you wind up finding something to do. Politics is a central thing to our way of life as we fill the years trying to screw someone else over or gain more power or something."

Anything that Carlos was going to say soon died on his lips as a sultry woman that looked like an animated latex fuck doll wearing a black catsuit walked in. Everyone else noticed as well and the crowd of gathered Vampires parted as the girl walked straight up for the throne. Off to one side Michael Gurley, Zoe and Mika all brandished weapons and imposed themselves in between the mysterious Barbie Girl and the royalty.

The Barbie girl cocked her head in curiosity. "My name is Samantha. I was told that you were expecting me?"

"Mike, girls, easy... it's cool. She's from my brother up in Newhaven. I've been expecting her," James said, standing and placing a hand on Gurley's shoulder to calm him down.

Michael gave him a look over his shoulder. "How'd she get past security?"

"I ran up the side of the building," Samantha said as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

"I swear to God, I'm putting stakes into the sides of the outer walls..." Michael rolled his eyes as he went back to where he and his two ladies had been at. "That's the third fucking being to get in through the damn windows up here..." he grumbled as he stalked off to the side.

Carlos leaned in to Emily. "What the hell is she?" Emily could only shake her head and shrug.

Samantha's head turned sharply, her eyes locking onto Carlos. "YOU!" she shrieked, pointing an accusing finger his way. "You are a Hunter!"

"Cojeme!" Carlos barely had time to swear as Samantha had crossed the distance between them in the blink of an eye. She grabbed him by the neck and pinned him up against the wall.

"I will kill you, Hunter!" Samantha shouted as she started to choke him. Emily was on her in an instant only to be batted casually aside.

"THAT IS ENOUGH!" James thundered from the throne. Carlos was trying to pry Samantha's hands away from his throat, but the girl's hands were like steel and he could get no relief. But the pressure eased and he could now see James's body glowing a bright blue-white light complete with fucking wings now sprouted out of his back. He wasn't sure if he needed to be more afraid of James or the thing calling herself Samantha that was about to kill him.

Samantha was caught in a moment of indecision as she looked at James and then back at Carlos. "He was there! He was one of the ones who captured my boyfriend and his wife!"

"And I thought our relationship was interesting," Michael quipped to Zoe and Mika.

"We know he was there!" James said, his voice loud but not booming anymore. "He has defected to us and is going to provide us more information about the Hunters."

"But..." Samantha looked like she really wanted to choke the shit out of Carlos.

"Let. Him. Go." James reiterated.

"Fine," Samantha spat out, releasing Carlos and letting him crumple to the floor.

James knelt down and touched Carlos' neck, which felt instantly better. James's form then shimmered and dimmed as it reverted back to its normal, human-looking self. Carlos sputtered and coughed while allowing Emily, now by his side, to help him up. "What the fuck is she?" he croaked out.

"Emissary of the Lurkers." Samantha said in a hard voice. "You know, the creatures that you helped kill?"

"Geez, it was only one time, lady. Didn't you ever do anything that you regretted?" he asked. That got a sharp stiffening of Samantha's body in response.

"Those Hunters now have a lot of the women of Newhaven caught into some kind of Creature." Samantha said, now ignoring Carlos and turning back to James and Ashley. "I tried getting them out, but the girls screamed in pain when I tried to cut them out."

"Tillis calls it a Prison Creature," Carlos confirmed. "He made it from the bodies of one of those... what do you call them... Lurkers? He used a Breeder-"

"A what?" Ashley interrupted, "What's a Breeder?"

"Uhm... one of the people who follow the Lurkers?"

"Caretakers." Samantha corrected.

"Uhm... Okay," Carlos nodded in understanding. "Anyway, he's using the Caretakers that he captures to birth those Seekers to go out and capture more. And now he's got the body of a second Lurker to add to the biomass of the Prison Creature... that creature that we'd brought down a few days ago."

"My God..." James breathed at the implication of this.

"We're going to have to do something about this." Ashley said, looking at her husband. "There is no way your brother can mount a counterattack to get his people back, is there?" James shook his head.

"You might want to hurry on that." Carlos interjected, getting everyone looking his way so fast that he paused before plowing on. "Tillis was talking to some really mean looking hombres while I was there. They're like some kind of uber-mercenaries from what I overheard."

"Show me," Ashely said at once, walking up to Carlos and looking right into his eyes. That buzzing came back but this time Carlos didn't fight it and allowed her to see the yellowed eyed mercenaries that he'd seen. For some odd reason, the images of the hounds came to mind as well and Ashley sucked in a breath. "Werewolves... he has recruited Werewolves to help him!"

"Werewolves helping humans?" James asked incredulously. "Surely to God, they wouldn't be that dumb to do something that would violate the peace agreement?"

Ashley snapped an angry glare at her husband. "Why don't you ask him since you two are so tight now? Besides, I'm sure they might find some kind of loophole to work with humans."

James pondered that for a moment. "I guess, so long as they're going against other humans, they could rationalize that. The agreement we held them to stated that they wouldn't be attacking any other supernatural entity unless it was out of self-defense." He took a long, hard look at Carlos and Carlos felt his mind being probed again to the point that he had a headache. "What the hell is with these silver collars of theirs?"

"Got me man," Carlos replied, rubbing his head as the intrusion into his mind retreated. "All I know is what I saw."

"We must move then," Ashley said decisively, "before the wolves have a chance to howl at our doors once again."

*

"They're going to be coming," Tillis growled as he stared at Fenrir, the leader of the werewolf mercenaries that he'd recruited in helping defend his holdings. "Your boys failed to kill him and my spies in Metro saw Mr. Vasquez entering Vanderheim Towers with his vampire bitch."

"This... Carlos..." Fenrir mused in a deep, gravelly voice, "was most resourceful. The next time we see him I will have to send my Alphas and Betas after him as opposed to just my Omegas."

Tillis arched an eyebrow. "You sent your worst people after him?"

Fenrir shrugged. "I fully admit to underestimating him since he was, after all, a mere human," he parted his hands in askance, "but then again, had he not the resourcefulness that he needed to evade my pack, you probably would not have hired him in the first place, correct?" Tillis fumed at him while Fenrir went on. "We have no problem fighting Vampires again. We still have some old scores to settle with them that go back to the golden days of Kara and Geir themselves."

"Whoever they were," Tillis muttered under his breath.

"Are," Fenrir corrected. "They are our species' Matriarch and Patriarch."

Tillis shrugged, not caring who they were. "So we're in agreement that you'll fight with us. Yes?"

"Of course. There's just the matter of payment now."

"Yes." Tillis reached into his desk and pulled out a silver collar. "You've already seen some of these in action and I believe that you're satisfied with the results. The rest are in the crates outside for your people to put on. The mages that I have spoken with assure me that these will enhance your powers in your transformed state and will allow such a state to occur without the aid of a full moon." He sat it on the desk and slid it over to Fenrir. "You'll change immediately once you put them on and feel the power flow through you."

"Excellent." He took it with a gloved hand and examined it. "I'll distribute these at once and begin preparations for defending your premises then." Fenrir smiled and bowed his head. "Thank you for giving us the instrument we need in exacting our revenge on the local Vampires."

"No," Tillis said with a big smile, "Thank you."

***

CHAPTER 7:

Oh, in the calm before the storm
Another legend will be born, another battle will be won.
We will rise.
Oh, so heed the call of confrontation.
Today we feed on domination.
Secure a legacy that will never die, be immortalized!
-Disturbed, "Immortalized" (2015)

That night, Raymond Tillis smiled cruelly down at the rows of his new hounds as they all glared daggers up at him with the utmost hatred in their red eyes within the pale moonlight of the night. "Oh come now, you are honestly shocked that you wound up in such a way once you put those collars on?" he gloated. "You asked me for a means to fight other supernaturals once again and I have provided it for you by locking you into your feral form," he fingered one silver collar on a werewolf, taking pride in his people's work in imbuing the collars in such a way so that they would not attack him, or any other human, without his express consent. "Humans are the dominant species on this planet and I will see to it that it stays that way. That means that you all will work for me and bend to MY will one way or another!"

Some of the werewolves became agitated as the wind shifted and a new scent reached them. Many of them pawed at the ground and other simply looked off into the distance the wind was coming from. Tillis picked up on that cue at once. "Ah, I see that my wayward soldier has brought his undead friends. Right on schedule," he said gleefully. "To the walls! Go and take your revenge out on those who initially brought you to such a level! Kill the vampires!"

*

The howling coming from the Tillis Compound was unmistakable. Ashley smacked James on the shoulder as she came out of the shadow portal that he'd created directly from Vanderheim Towers. "You idiot, you brought us in upwind of them!" she hissed at him. "They'll smell us coming a mile away!"

"Blow me," James retorted, unfazed by the hit. "You try creating a portal like this with respect to weather conditions."

"Maybe later," Ashley replied indifferently. "Zoe! Take your cops and secure the guard towers." She then motioned for squads of her vampires to peel off in different directions before taking off in a run with the last one out of the portal. All took off with speed that defied all known physics.

Carlos exited along with Emily and Samantha. "What do you want us to do?" he asked.

James called over Michael Gurley and Mika, who were with a team that was securing their landing spot. "Go with Michael and Mika here. Show them where the prison creature is at and then do everything you can do to release the captives," he instructed. "Samantha and I will be reinforcing everyone else as needed so don't hesitate to call out."

Carlos beckoned as he unholstered his sidearm. "This way." As quickly and as quietly as he could, he led them through the various ensuing fights between Vampires and enhanced Werewolves all the way to the shed that he'd helped herd the breeder women into. "There!" he said, pointing it out.

"You're sure?" Michael asked. Carlos nodded and Michael motioned to Mika. "Do your thing, girl."

"Righto!" The Irish Redheaded Vampire said with glee. With one hand she ripped the chains and lock off. With the other she ripped the outer doors right off the hinges.

The four of them stared into a very empty looking warehouse area.

Michael, Mika, and Emily looked at Carlos.

"It was in here: I swear!"

"Talk!" Michael yelled at him, grabbing him by the collars and pinning him up against the nearest wall so hard that Carlos dropped his gun. "Where is it? Did you just lead us into a trap?"

"Easy, Luv," Mika said in her thick Irish burr, placing a hand on Michael's shoulder while pointing down. She stooped to get a better look. "Something big was in 'ere but it has been moved. See the scrape tracks 'ere?"

"There was a control room over there," Carlos pointed off toward one side towards the viewing windows.

Mika was there in a second and peered in. Then she rushed in and called back. "There bein' some equipment in 'ere, Michael. They got some sorta recordin' tapes that I'll grab, but nuttin' to indicate where this creature of his is."

When Michael glowered at Carlos again, Carlos had his hands up in surrender. "I swear to God this is the place!"

"I'll fucking send you to God if you don't start producing something reliable here!" Michael jostled him, slamming the Latino up against the wall a couple of times for emphasis as Mika came out and was pocketing the surveillance tapes that she'd found.

Just then, the radio on Michael's belt crackled to life and James' voice came out. "Michael, have you found them yet? Things are getting dicey out here."

Michael grabbed it up and snarled into it. "Naw, man. Your new boy wonder here led us to an empty warehouse. Mika thinks that it might've been in here at one time but the place is deserted."

Before there could be a reply, Carlos saw something moving in the dark. "Look out, man!" he cried out. When Michael was too slow to react, Carlos did a short, abrupt strike against his arms to get his grip to release and then pushed back against him using the wall as leverage. Michael reflexively let him go from the blow. As Carlos landed, he grabbed for the nearest weapon, Michael's holstered pistol, aimed it at the moving shadow, and fired.

The man who had been coming at them with his machine gun up at the ready staggered into the dim lighting of the warehouse before collapsing onto his knees. It was Carlos' former partner, Angel. Angel looked down at the three holes in his chest and coughed out some blood. "You... traitor..." he spat out at Carlos before pitching over, dead.

Carlos had no time to mourn as there were two of the hound things... The vampires had called them werewolves... loping towards them. Carlos put the first one down with a couple of well-placed shots into its face. Mika and Emily had rallied at this point and expertly took the second one down in a matter of mere moments.

"Shit," Michael swore under his breath, "I never heard those fuckers coming."

"To be fair, senor, you were occupied." Carlos handed the pistol back to him.

"Uh... thanks." He then shook his head. "They were... quieter than normal."

"What are these collars on them?" Mika wondered, reaching out for the one on the werewolf she'd down. She then recoiled in pain as she was burned the moment she touched it. "SHIT! Silver!" she cried out. "Pure silver!"

"Damn girl, you dense?" Michael rushed to her aid and helped bandage it by ripping a shred of fabric off of Angel's shirt. "Didn't you fucking pay attention at court?"

"Ach... Fook ya... ya bastard..." Mika hissed at him.

"Well, that explains how they're working for a human," Emily observed without touching the object. "The silver must be containing them in their wolf form. Look at those burn marks around their necks. That has to be really painful for them."

"What werewolf in their right mind would wear something like that?" Michael wondered as he wrapped Mika's hand.

They all looked at Carlos who put his hands up. "Don't look at me! I wasn't in on those conversations. All I know is that these tough looking dudes were talking to the boss in human form and then they were... like this."

"They seem to have some magical properties..." Emily said. "This is a lot like when..." her voice trailed off. When the three of them then stared at her, she continued on. "Like when The Mistress was using her magic to coerce the werewolves to do her bidding and launch the war against us."

Michael's eyes narrowed on her now. "The same magic?"

"Non... Non!" Emily shook her head vehemently. "This isn't vampire magic we're talking here. This is human based."

"The... Mages..." Mika hissed through her teeth as she got the pain from the silver under control. "Tillis must've bribed them or something."

As if to answer their questions and their fears, a bolt of blue-white energy sizzled past Mika to impact against Emily's chest. Emily went flying back into the nearest wall and crumpled to the floor in a heap. Carlos heard someone screaming her name and it took him a moment to realize that he was the one doing it while he rushed to her side. Zoe and Mika bared fangs and claws while their eyes glowed bright red. Michael grabbed his radio. "James! We got Mages here at the Tillis Warehouse. I say again: Mages!"

James didn't respond. Instead he just walked right out of the shadows that now covered the interior of the empty warehouse that held the Prison Creature. From the opposite direction, three of the most beautiful women that Carlos could even imagine were coming into view with three blue-white balls of energy dancing in between hands held out right in front of them as if they were gazing into crystal balls to divine the future. They were so beautiful, in fact, that Carlos figured that if there were to be a contest between them, Playboy Playmates, and Penthouse Pets, the Pets and Playmates would be disqualified for being too ugly.

When they talked, however, it was like banshees wailing and garbage disposals grinding. The one in the center opened her mouth and Carlos had to cover his ears to keep them from rupturing. "Your time is over, Vampires!" the leader of the trio screeched. They lifted their hands up to loose their bolts of energy/

James' hands were moving and he clapped them together and then spread them out wide. A magical barrier appeared, absorbing the brunt of the bolts and protecting the Vampires and Humans now behind him. "Go to hell!" he snarled.

"Come with us!" the Mages hissed in response, giving him another volley that his barrier absorbed.

"Mike! Get them out of here!" James yelled as he kept his hands up to keep his protective shield in place under the fusillade of energy bolts.

"Let's go, girls!" Michael ordered Mika and Carlos.

"We can take them!" Mika insisted through the pain.

"GO!" James roared.

Carlos had been watching the exchange and picked up Emily and placed her into Michael's arms. "Take her! I cover you!" he said, taking Michael's pistol from his holster again while scooping up his own from the ground. Before Michael could even protest, Carlos dropped to the ground in a prone firing position with both pistols ahead of him.

"That barrier protects both ways man!" Michael said as he started running back to their entry point.

Carlos fired low. His shots wizzed across the ground, kicking up dirt and grass where it was too low and hitting the shield where it was too high. James gave him a questioning look and then saw that his shield had a gap below it which was where Carlos was aiming for. Getting the idea, James raised the barrier more to give him a clean shot. Carlos' next rounds went through the knees and shins of the Mage on the far left. She went down in an ear-splitting scream that curdled Carlos' guts. The other two Mages rushed to their sister's aid and James dropped the barrier just as Carlos emptied his magazines into the fallen mage. "Time to go!" he said, grabbing Carlos by the scruff of the neck and running through the nearest shadow that he could find.