Hunted Blood II: Dark Reign Ch. 5

Anita looked into his eyes. "Remember when I first met you, I offerred you a deal?"

Michael nodded. He did remember that Anita had told him that she would provide him and The Organization with names of vampires, in return for a garauntee of safety.

"I maintain contact with others like me," she answered him. "Others who are....less passionate about killing humans. Others who wish to co-exist, nothing more."

Michael raised an eyebrow. More, like her?

"Humans and vampires are symbiotes in the ecology of Earth, Michael. We must have one another to survive. Those like Akuma, who kill for wanton pleasure, are disgusting to us. We can not tolerate their kind."

Michael was quiet for some time. He was thinking. If there were others like Anita, were they also willing to help?

"Would these other vampires help us?" he asked at last.

Anita smiled slightly. "I don't know, my love. I will ask. You see, we are a loose knit, and there is no structure to us. We just help each other out now and then with travelling and such as that. But," she smiled, "I will contact some of my friends and ask them."

A knock came at the paper-covered sliding door. Michael could see the faint silhouette of Master Osato outside.

"Michael-san," the old man said, still outside the door, "there is a package for you." And then Michael watched as the silhouette melded back into the dim shadows beyond the door.

- - -

The package contained everything that he had requested. Michael unpacked its contents and set them out on the bed. He layed two very impressive weapons on the futon, both manufactured by Fabrique Nationale in Belgium. The first was the FN P90, a compact, futuristic looking, selective-fire submachine gun that fired the body armor defeating 5.7mm round. He noted that this P90 had been fitted with Gemtech's highly-capable sound suppressor, which had been sealed to the weapon's muzzle with Locktite, so it could handle sustained full-automatic fire. The next was the complement to the P90, FN's Five-Seven pistol. It fired the same powerful round as the sub gun. However, it was not suppressed. Stone layed out three twenty-round magazines for the pistol, and four fifty-round magazines for the P90. He saw that the ammunition was a hollowpoint version of the SB193 sub-sonic round. He had remembered reading the test results on this particular round, and he was well-satisfied that it would do the trick against soft targets, like that of a vampire's head.

He then set out four small packages that looked like a dark green plastic pack of cigarettes. These contained a high order detonating plastic explosive. They had a simple slide lock arming switch on one end. The switch primed the blasting cap contained within the explosive compound. Stone would activate them with a push-button remote detonator.

Michael changed into the black armored suit. He draped the gunmetal colored chain mail around his neck and wrists. He strapped on a Blackhawk nylon thigh holster to his right leg, into which he fitted the FiveSeven pistol. One magazine had went into the weapon. The others were placed in magazine pouches on the nylon pistol belt. To his other thigh he strapped three longer magazine pouches, into which he placed the spares for the P90. He slung the P90's black nylon sling over his shoulder. The weapon came to rest across his chest. Next he put a long black overcoat. He picked the dai-katana up from it's upright stand. He held it in his right hand, looking at Anita.

"How many of them?" he asked.

"I felt eight. There could be more," she replied.

Stone nodded. "Will you take me back there?" he asked her.

Anita nodded her head. She looked at him, her eyes wide with a new fear. He was armed to the teeth and he looked like an angel of death to her.

"What are you going to do?" she asked.

"Kill them all."

---

Stone and Anita passed into the dojo, where Osato waited by the door. Anita bowed to him, and he returned the gesture. She walked out the door. Michael bowed slowly to his master.

"Do mo arigato gozai mashita, Sensei," Stone said to him, thanking him for his teachings.

Osato bowed again. Michael gave the old man a piece of paper, onto which he had written several Japanese characters. They were a set of instructions. Osato bowed again after he read them. Stone looked at his master for a long second, unspoken thoughts passing between them. Then he turned and walked out the door.

---

It was an hour until sunrise. He had to move quickly, as Anita had dropped him off a good ways from the place. Stone maneuvered his way over the uneven ground that surrounded the sparsely populated mountain area. He stopped every few minutes to get his bearings, relying on memorized details that Anita had given him. He had had to partially climb up the side of a mountain slope in order to circumnavigate a high wall that surrounded the place. Soon, he found himself on the perch of a small hillcrest that looked down into the shallow depression where the building stood.

It was, for all intents and purposes, a pagota. Seen consistently throughout most of Asia, these buildings were generally built as temples. Stone recognized nothing of the multi-storied structure from his own experience there. It was, though, exactly as Anita had described it.

Michael looked to the East and saw that the sky was starting to lighten. He turned back to the building, and removed his overcoat. He rolled it up and stuffed it behind a small rock. He then strapped the dai-katana across his back. Stone would not be able to draw the blade from that position, but he could carry it more easily than inside his belt. Once situated, he began his approach to the nest of the enemy.

There was very little vegetation or rock around the pagota. This afforded him no cover. His movements instead were timed with shadow and ground slope, moving slowly and low across the damp grass. The sun was almost peeking over the mountain behind him when he made it to the building.

Stone had crouched behind a block wall facing that squared the perimeter of the foundation of the building. There was a railing above him, no doubt a verandah-type porch that extended around the first floor. There were sets of five-step stairs ahead of him, and another that he noted to his rear. He removed one of the explosive packs and taped it to the wall just above the foundation. He slid the arming switch to the "armed" position.

Michael was calming himself, centering his being, breathing deeply. He forced more oxygen into his body, as his muscles were starved from the previous low-crawling exertion. He was pushing his mind again into a singular purpose.

Movement came suddenly from the stairs ahead of him. A figure descended them, then stopped at the bottom. It propped an arm on one of the rails and lit a cigarette. Stone saw the butt of a shotgun in the man's other hand.

Michale knew that this one was human. A watchdog, as the hunters liked to call them. A human paid by vampires to keep a lookout while they slept. Michael had not planned to kill humans this day. However, he knew that the man would not simply let him pass. The watchdog carried the shotgun for a reason.

Stone raised the P90, bringing the lighted reticle combat sight to bear on the man's head. With only the tip of his finger, he pressed the weapon's trigger to the rear. He was cautious to only allow the trigger to clear the first "stage" of pull. When set for full auto, the P90's trigger has two "stages". The first stage allows for semi-automatic fire. When the trigger is fully depressed, the weapon fires at it's cyclic rate of 900 rounds per minute.

The weapon let out a slight thud, and vibrated in his hands. Through the sight, Michael saw the man collapse to his knees, then fall forward onto the ground. He noticed grimly that the man was missing the top portion of his head.

Michael moved quickly, dragging the body around the staircase. He pushed it under the stairs, the panned quickly for others. Seeing none, he ducked around the stairs and stayed close to the wall. He moved in a crouched manner, the P90 shouldered at the ready position. He skirted the perimeter of the building, stopping to place an explosive on the wall opposite the other. This done, he silently moved back to where he had had the encounter with the watchdog, and entered the building.

It was the smell that made him remember the place. It assaulted his brain, causing subconscious memories of being carried into this place by non-human hands. Had Stone not been within mushi-no-in, he would have recoiled in utter horror once he saw the clear visions in his head of what had happened to him. He followed the empty hallway silently, creeping along with the P90 held ready, scanning from left to right ahead of him. He turned, then descended a set of steps to a long corridor. The hallway was lit by bare bulbs suspended from the ceiling. Stone saw that the door at the end had been forcibly ripped from it's hinges. He knew that he did not need to look in the room beyond.

Retracing his steps, Stone placed an explosive charge at the base of the stairs. He then went again into the hallway at the top of the stairwell, and continued up another short flight of steps. Movement caught his eye ahead of him. He stopped, allowing his eyes to go slightly out of focus. He was now looking ahead of him, but not really looking at anything.

The human eye detects movement faster than shape or even color. Sometimes, in dim light, the transference of one's shadow can cause a person to believe they saw something when they actually did not. Stone, however, had been trained to ignore shadow lines by looking directly ahead, always seeing precisely zero degrees of his center. His peripheral vision had caught the movement ahead of him. He knew it was no trick of shadows.

Michael's eyes focused on a man-shaped shadow. It moved across the hallway and entered a room. Stone closed the ten yards between himself and the room before the shadowy figure could even close the door. His boots made a little noise as he traversed the hardwood flooring. Stone saw the utter surprise in the male vampire's eyes as he brought the muzzle of the submachine gun to bear on it's head. Michael pressed the trigger. The P90 coughed quietly, and the five point seven millimeter round split the creature's forehead open. Gore splattered the wood door with a sickening splat.

Stone turned one hundred eighty degrees. A sound had come from behind him. Stone saw a female this time, coming from a room across the hall. Her shriek was cut off as Michael sent a three-shot burst into her head. He left the pulpy mass of dying flesh in the hallway as he ran quietly deeper into the compound.

Those two were finished, he knew. A vampire could not heal such intense, massive trauma to it's body. Normally, he would have cut off their heads, finishing them for sure. The corner of Stone's mouth curled into a sinister smile as he thought how very effective the P90 was.

But, the short cry that the female made could have awakened the others. She had appeared nude, and Stone figured that the male had just finished fucking her. At least, he thought as he reached the next floor, they would all probably be in bed.

Someone nearly knocked Stone over as he stepped into the next hallway. Michael felt the brush of fabric against him. It was dark, except for small lights recessed into the ceiling. They gave very little illumination, just enough to make out the floor and walls with their doors. Michael flattened himself against the wall, then dropped to a crouch, sliding the dai katana from his back as he did so. He then shifted into a low fighting stance, holding the dai katana at his side, his hand tight around the grip.

The vampire stopped before descending the stairs. It had felt Michael, and now it sensed him. It turned and looked down at the hunter.

Michael had waited. As he saw the creature turn, he drew the dai katana. The heavy blade arced as Michael lunged upward. The vampire's head fell from it's neck, landing with a thud on the floor. The body toppled backwards, tumbling down the stairs.

As Stone replaced the sword in it's sheath, the hallway was suddenly brightly illuminated as overhead flourescent lights came on. The sound of machine gun fire erupted behind him. Michael heard the rounds strike the door just inches from him. Stone spun, bringing the P90 around as he did, depressing the trigger fully. The weapon sprayed a deadly hail of bullets down the hall. Stone fell backwards, rolled, and came to rest on the stairs. He had seen the man with a Colt M4 drop to the floor and roll. Michael popped up quickly from his cover, panned left with the P90, and targeted the human watchdog. A quick burst from the suppressed weapon took out the enemy before he could move to cover.

Michael stood and ran towards the body of the human. He stopped and placed his last explosive against the baseboard beside the dead man. As he slid the arming switch to the "armed" position, he sensed movement at the end of the hallway. Several vampires had came down the stairs there, and were rapidly advancing towards him.

The Michael had shifted the P90 to his back so that he could get his last charge. He drew the FiveSeven pistol with his right hand. Stone's left hand continued to make sure the explosive charge was tight against the wooden baseboard as his right raised the pistol. He lined up the sights on the lead vampire's head. Stone pressed the trigger. The weapon bucked in his hand. The sound was deafening in the hallway. The vampire dropped as its head split open, spattering the creature behind it with mush.

The one behind the now-dead vampire stopped and wiped the blood from its eyes. Michael took a two-handed grip on the FiveSeven and fired three times. Two shots went into the vampire's chest, and the last struck the creature's head. It's body fell atop the first one.

There was one more. A blonde haired male that Stone recognized. The memory came to him suddenly. Oh yes, Michael remembered Greg.

"You motherfucker!" Greg shouted. "I am so going to enjoy taking you."

Michael saw its fangs. Greg started towards him. Michael gave a wink, and then he turned and ran.

Stone knew he could not outrun the creature. Even though he had a good head start, he knew that the evil thing could catch him. But, Michael had pretty well figured that he could make it out of the building before it did.

He jumped down the stairs and landed in a full run. Greg was behind him, every second coming closer. Stone found himself on the bottom floor, only seconds from the door. He could feel the vampire on his heels, reaching out from him. Michael stopped suddenly, extending his leg in a powerful rear thrust kick. He felt his boot make contact with Greg. He then heard Greg make contact with the floor.

Stone bolted out the door. He ran about thirty more yards, looking over his shoulder. He saw Greg emerge from the building, hate and rage in the vampire's eyes. Stone stopped, turned, and faced the vampire.

"You're dead, you bastard!" Greg screamed. "I'm gonna rip your fucking heart out and eat it! You hear me! You're fucking dead!"

"And you," Michael said, looking up and smiling, "are out of time."

Greg looked up and saw the sky. Dawn was upon him. The light of the sun was quickly rising over the mountain. In seconds, the sun's burning rays would turn him into ash. Michael saw utter fear cross the creature's face. Greg turned and ran towards the building.

Stone touched the firing button on the remote detonator.

Greg had taken about two steps. The charges went off simultaneously. The foundation of the building exploded upwards as the middle levels collapsed inward. Greg stopped and watched in horror as his only shelter from the sun's deadly light went up in a fireball of high order detonation.

And then the sun crested the mountain. It's rays struck the vampire. Greg's body began to smolder, and he screamed. Michael watched as the vampire's skin began to redden and blister. The blisters swelled and popped, and Stone grimaced as the creature's boiling blood splattered onto the grass. Greg's body was smoking greatly now, and his clothes began to burn. The vampire screamed the entire time.

Stone found he could take no more. With two hands, he swung the mighty dai katana, lopping the vampire's head off, silencing the terrible scream. He watched as the body continued to burn from within. Then he turned and ran towards the mountain, leaving the body to smolder with the ashes of the building.

---

Michael trekked across the slope of the mountain, coming to a narrow road. A black Toyota Land Cruiser sat parked near the side of the road, its engine idling. Stone approached the car and got in.

Osato looked as the hunter climbed into the passenger seat. He said nothing, his inquisitive look saying all.

Stone nodded his head. Osato put the car into gear. "It has been a while since I have driven, Michael-san."

"Its like riding a bike, Sensei. You never forget," Stone told him.

"I never learned to ride a bike, Michael-san," Osato replied.

Michael smiled. "Anita?" he asked.

"Hai. She has gone ahead. She will meet you in Rome in five days, as you instructed."

Michael nodded. "Do mo arigato, Sensei," he said.

Osato bowed as he steered the car over the roadway. "The plane awaits. I would guess that you are ready to leave now?"

"Hai, Sensei," Michael answered. "I have much work to do."

Osato nodded, turning the car down the curving and winding road. Stone sat in silence. He was thinking again, planning. He would contact The Organization in the air. He knew that his final report on this mission would spark the interest of the council. He hoped the director would listen to his request for a meeting. Akuma was still alive. He knew that The Organization would need Anita's help to take him out.

Anita. He really did love her. He knew they could never have a family, yet he wanted to be with her. Family. Yes. John Stone. His father. Michael could maybe spare a day between here and Rome to stop and see him.

But there was still so much work to be done.