The Pandora Effect Ch. 05

"I should have known better than to set you up Luka. Kevin, your father is quite a funny person. I do love his attitude around here."

Kevin looked around and then back to Gabriel. "Speaking of which, where is here exactly?"

"It's a little complicated Kevin. What's the last thing you remember before you arrived here in the forest?"

"I was on a mission. You see I'm part of a special group in the Navy and we..."

"Yes I know you're a SEAL Kevin, but what do you remember?

"How did you know..."

"Please Gabriel, maybe you should come back a little later. Give us time to talk to him first," Marta said quickly.

"I'm sorry Marta I wish I could, but the time is nearing my dear. Now Kevin, you were on the Naqada with your team. What do you remember after finding the canister?"

Kevin stared at him in disbelief. Only a few select people knew about the mission and he wasn't one of them. "Oh well, it's a dream so what's the harm."

"We just found the canister and then we regrouped on the stern. Garrett Brown took a few samples and then he dropped it overboard. That's when we heard the shot ring out."

"And you being a great Navy SEAL returned fire," Gabriel said quietly.

"Of course I -- wait, I didn't return fire. I felt something sting me and..."

Marta moved quickly and sat down next to her Grandson. As she placed her loving arm around him, she rocked him in comforting love. Kevin looked around at the group, as he watched the faces of the two other men from his past. Their faces had a slight smile, but their eyes gave them away. The look of sadness slowly crept over them.

"I felt this sting in my back, and then I'm here in the forest with my dead ancestors. Then some guy, who knows about the mission, walks up and says something about it being almost time. Now my dead Grandmother is rocking me like a little kid to comfort me."

Kevin looked at his father. "You mean I'm dead Dad?"

"Um -- sort of little buddy. This is a kind of way station to help you transition. You get to meet family members and ask a lot of questions. That way it's not too hard to take when one of -- them -- arrives. They must think pretty highly of you Kev, usually it's not Gabe himself picking someone up."

Kevin jumped up out of Marta's embrace and glared at the archangel. "I can't be dead! My girlfriend, my teammates, my mom is..."

"Yes Kevin and you still have strong human emotions. You can still experience that, for the time being anyway. Why don't you sit back down and I'll try to answer your questions for you."

"Oh great, this is the part where I get to ask one question to God," he said with a hint of sarcasm as he slid back down next to Marta.

Gabriel shook his head. "I still have no idea how that got so mixed up down there. No Kevin you get to ask as many as you want. I'm pretty sure some of them are the same ones your family here asked too."

Baldomr shifted body slightly and brought the water bottle up. "Yeah, like that stupid rule of only telling your true love," he muttered.

"Wait a minute, you know about my other side?" Kevin asked quickly.

"Ah yes, that troublesome side that you tried to hate for so long. I really don't understand why you don't like being a werewolf? We thought werewolves were a pretty good idea at the time."

"You son -- of -- a..." Kevin said and then pulled his fist back.

"Kevin, no!" Luka's booming voice was the only thing stopping him, as the rage filled his heart.

"Before you turn into some hideous monster, as you so eloquently put it sometimes, why don't you calm down and let me answer your questions. Would you like another beer to help you calm down, maybe something stronger perhaps?"

"Maybe telling me why God would create a monster would be a good start!"

"Oh dear, where to start? I guess the box would be a good place."

"The box?"

"Yes Kevin, haven't you ever heard of Pandora's box?"

"Yeah, it's Greek mythology. A box that held all the evil in the world, and some chick opened it. Now werewolves walk around killing people. Nice job to the old man on that brilliant idea."

A loud clap of thunder sounded in the distant and Kevin looked up. The sun was still shinning and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. He looked back at Gabriel who stared back with a hint of displeasure.

"Maybe you should try to keep that anger in check just for a little while Kevin. He's not real happy with the way this is going."

"Sorry, it's a force of habit."

"Now about the box, it's not mythology, it was real. You see Kevin, he wanted to guard the box, but at the same time, he wanted those guards to blend in with everyone else. In the beginning, there were two Lycanthropes and their job was to keep the box closed. One of them was named Alesandro, the other was Kiril."

"You're taking the long way around the block to get to your back door there Gab."

"Thank you Luka, I can always count on you for a comment. Anyway Kevin, they started out as good werewolves, guardians really. They led normal lives and had friends, but the rule was they could only tell their true love who they really were."

"You mean -- what -- they were," Kevin said quickly.

"No I had it right the first time thank you. It is a part of you, just as much as it is your human side. Anyway, Kiril fell in love with a very beautiful woman. Your generation refers to them as, how do you put it, built like a brick shithouse? Can you guess what her name was Kevin?"

"Oh I'm just going to take a wild guess here -- Pandora?"

"You have your father's sense of humor I see. She was one of a few fallen ones that were banished from heaven, dark angels as you might know them. She seduced Kiril to help open the box, but he stood so close to it after it opened that he became evil and destructive."

"Why didn't the other werewolf stop him?"

"By the time Alesandro got there it was too late. They fought each other fiercely but Pandora stopped it. She offered Alesandro her medallion if he allowed the two of them to leave in peace and never return. He couldn't bring himself to kill another of his kind, so he took the medallion and never saw them again."

"The Lycanthrope Medallion," Kevin whispered.

Baldomr stood up and approached Kevin. "Speaking of which, why in the world would you put it in a bank in Switzerland? Not to mention trusting a human female to drop it off for you like it was a letter to Santa. You have no idea what lengths evil werewolves would do to get their hands on it."

"I didn't know what it was Baldomr. Kristine was the caretaker of Predjama castle and she just heard rumors from some old lady."

"Yes I know Kevin, I was watching when she did. Let me ask you a question, when Laura came to the hotel that night why didn't you know it was her? A true decedent of Alesandro would have sensed her walking down the corridor."

"I don't know, maybe I was getting a cold or something."

Gabriel touched the young man's arm and shook his head. "No Kevin, your werewolf side was fading away. You turned your back on the gift he gave you, so it started to turn its back on you my son. It lives within you, just as much as you live within him. Sadly, you both depend on on each other to thrive."

"If you know so much Gabriel, then you know I scare the -- heck -- out of people."

"Oh I'm quite sure you scare poor Kristine Dawson out of her mind. What is it she is always telling you, bad dog, she'll hit you with a newspaper? What about your friend Adam, go fetch me a beer boy? Your girlfriend Laura shakes in fear as she snuggles up to you. Yes petrified indeed."

"They're my friends. They accept me for who I am."

"Oh, and the others of Alpha fire team are not your friends? Do you know that at this very moment, every one of them is begging our father to let them switch places with you in that hospital bed? If that's not friendship Kevin, I'd hate to find out what it does take to be your friend."

"But the rules."

Gabriel looked up into the bright sky. "Forgive me on this one Father. Some things just don't work out like you plan Kevin. Maybe it should have been to allow a werewolf with a good heart to evolve and grow. Maybe not tell the whole world, but to let you find your own way sometimes. We aren't supposed to interfere, just guide you in your journey in life."

"Well you sure could have interfered with the two morons that are left down there. Do you know what they have?"

"Yes we do. The problem the world has now is -- they don't. Since you'll be up here with us, you might as well know the truth, Nadia is one of the fallen ones. She is filled with such hatred for him, that she told the Lycanthropes' the virus would just kill humans and have no effect on any other living creature. She failed to inform them about the so-called Pandora effect. The transformation of his work would be complete; the dead would walk the earth forever. They have no idea they are causing their own demise, they only want power and to start a new world order. It's up to your friends now to try and stop it."

**********

Adam Dawson took a deep breath and slowly let it escape. He rubbed his tired eyes and then looked into the faces of the curious men around him. He felt sick to his stomach as the idea of lying to his team hit him. There was going to be no easy way around this, as he leaned forward and placed his hands on the lustrous tabletop.

"What you all saw on the bridge really was Mansur Alba. What you also saw was a werewolf."

"Have you lost your mind Dawson," Garrett spat out.

"No I haven't. You see guys, my grandparents were killed by something I didn't think existed. I did manage to track it down and then I found out about..."

**********

Jake looked at the saddened medic. He was taking the news about Kevin hard. "What do you think they're talking about in there?"

"I don't know and I really don't care Jake. My only concern is one of my friends is lying in a bed dying. The General was right, I should have done more to prevent it."

Jake knelt down in front of the young medic. He knew no words could console him. This was just a part of what they sign up for and they sometimes have to take the bad with all the good they do. A lesson that is always learned with a great deal of pain.

"John, I haven't known you for very long. From what I can tell, you're a hell of medic. You did everything you could and then some. You knew when you signed up for the teams, this is part of the job, but none of us really want to go through it."

John looked into his eyes and saw a true concern about his feelings. "You know something Jake, you have a good soul."

"Oh I wouldn't go that far rookie. There's a lot you don't know about me. I could be some kind of monster for all you know." Jake laughed inside at the thought of what he truly was. If the young medic only knew the truth, he wouldn't think that.

"I should go check on Kevin. If they come out and ask, just tell them that I'm doing my job."

**********

"Please, you have to send me back. I have to help stop them," Kevin pleaded with him.

"I'm sorry Kevin, I know it's hard to understand but we have rules about..."

"Screw your rules! Dad, Grandma -- please make him understand. Mom's down there for Christ's sake!"

Luka looked up as the thunder rolled through the cloudless sky. "Kevin, please try to understand. We all went through this at the beginning. I promise it gets easier."

"Please Gabriel, now that I know werewolves are supposed to be guardians I'll do better this time, I promise. You have to let me do what we were created to do -- protect."

"Did you ever get a chance to watch Star Wars?" Gabriel asked.

"What? What kind of stupid question is that?"

"I always liked one of the lines from that movie. 'Only now, at the end, do you understand the true meaning of the force'. I know it sounds corny, but it rather fits the conversation we're having. I guess your father's humor is rubbing off on me," he said with a little laugh.

"Gabriel, it's not nice to make fun of Kevin like that. He's having a difficult time right now," Marta said sternly.

"Forgive me, I apologize my dear. Kevin, my hands are tied on this matter. It just isn't done any more for a hundred reasons that I can't even..."

Suddenly the thunder sounded as if it was surrounding them. Gabriel looked up quickly and then back down the path Kevin took to reach the clearing. He had a concerned look on his face as he quickly looked back up to the bright sky.

"Oh dear, now we have a real problem on our hands."

Luka tossed his beer down and hurriedly stood up and scanned the area. "What is it Gabriel? What's going on?"

"Well there's nothing I can do about it now." A soft smile crept across his face. "Looks like our young Skywalker is getting his wish."

"I don't understand," Marta said softly.

"Kevin I pray you will learn from this and do what is right because it seems a friend of yours is about to break the rules."

**********

"How's he doing?" John asked the young Air Force nurse checking the I.V. in Kevin's arm.

"He's at least stable for now. Just a few minutes ago the vitals seemed to go haywire, like he was having a bad dream or something."

"Would you mind if I sit with him for a while. I promise to call you if anything changes."

"Are you the medic, the one who worked on him?"

"Yeah, at least I tried."

"I saw some of your work during the operation, you're very skilled. I'll just go get some coffee, I'll be at the nurses' station just outside the rear door there. Get me if you need anything."

John watched the young nurse walk out the door. He looked around the recovery room at the empty beds, then down to Kevin Dvorska. He closed his eyes, as the memory of the bodies scattered around him filled his mind. The room spun slowly and he started to smell the unmistakable scent of cordite -- and death.

Young men lay cold and still as they stared up at the smoke filled sky with lifeless eyes. Some lay twisting on the scorched earth, screaming for the medic to help them. He was alone in that muddy trench, his hands hastily trying to stop the bleeding in one of his friend's chest. The unit's surgeon was of no use as he lay close by, but only the upper half of his torso.

Another round hit very close to the edge of the shallow trench, silencing some of the agonizing screams tearing at the young medic's heart. After recovering from the concussion of the explosion, he looked down at his closest friend, who now stared back with the same lifeless eyes as the others.

"It's not supposed to be like this. At what point do we say enough is enough? Oh please God, give me the strength to save my friends -- please."

Pharmacist's Mate First Class John Henry Balch, United States Navy, jumped out of the trench at Vierzy, France. He ran to the first man he saw who was holding his bleeding leg tightly. As he reached into his bag, he pulled out two clamps and placed them on either side of the shattered artery.

After tying them in place, he grabbed the man's shoulder and dragged him down into the blood soaked furrow. He darted out once again and sprinted to the next man, as the bullets screamed past his exposed body.

John opened his eyes as they filled with tears. He tried not to think about it much, but World War I was like yesterday for him. He wasn't going to lose any more friends, not when so much was at stake this time. John crossed himself, placed a hand over Kevin's bandage chest, and looked up.

"Forgive me Father, for I am about to sin," he said as he slowly closed his eyes in silent pray.

It started as a small glow around him and slowly built. The warmth engulfed him like that of a mother, snuggling with a small child on a cold winter's night. The white light soon surrounded him as Kevin's eyes began to flicker back and forth.

It took only a few more moments before the young werewolf opened them and stared at the dark silhouette of a man standing next to his bed. As the light slowly diminished, he saw the team's medic, standing over him with a smile. John reached over and pulled the breathing tube out of Kevin's throat.

"Welcome back Mr. Dvorska, you gave us all quite a scare. Um -- what do you remember?"

"Everything."

"Oh I see. By chance did you happen to see an older gentleman with white..."

"Yeah I saw Gabriel, and I think you pissed him off. That is if you are what I think you are."

"I'm not really supposed to do that. I'm certain I'll be in a bit of trouble for that one, but I just couldn't lose another friend like that. You can tell the others it was some sort of miracle, divine intervention if you want, but you can't let them know about me or about what you saw up there. It wouldn't be a wise choice really. I'm in enough trouble as it is."

"Your secret is safe with me John, if that is your real name."

"It's my real name Kevin, and speaking of secrets, Adam is currently taking all the blame about what the team saw on the bridge. He's been a true friend to you Kevin. I can't tell you what to do, but sometimes you have to trust people close to you, even if you think you can't."

"Gabriel said something to that effect. Hurry up and help me get this shit off, I think it's time for a little show and tell." John punched a few buttons on the monitor so it would show a steady reading for a short time.

"We don't have much time Kev; the nurses will be looking for you when they see you're not in your bed."

"Lead the way Angel Boy," Kevin said as he grabbed an extra gown.

**********

"...so you see everyone, I kept it a secret because I didn't want to get you all hurt. I knew we were up against them again, but if I told you the truth you wouldn't have believed me anyway. That's also why I didn't freeze up like Garrett did. Fear is one of their greatest weapons.

"So is being pissed off," Kevin said as he burst through the door.

The team was in shock as they watched a living, breathing Kevin Dvorska move quickly into the room. He had a Sig Sauer pointed at the head of Jake Newton. After shoving him and John into the room, he turned and locked the door.

"Kevin, how are you -- you're supposed to be..." Adam couldn't come up with the words as he slumped in his chair.

"Yeah dead, I know L-tee. I'll try to explain it later, right now I want all weapons on the table," he said as he moved the 9mm back and forth on his teammates.

"Kevin, it's us, your teammates. Don't you remember being part of..."

"Yes I do Bob. SEAL Team Two, Alpha fire team. I'm the point man and you're gonna get shot first if I don't start seeing some hardware on that table real soon." Kevin put an exclamation point on his order by pulling the hammer back.

"I don't know what the hell is going on but I swear Dvorska, if I get the chance, I'm gonna put you back in that bed permanently," Bob said as he placed his weapon with the others.

"That might be harder than you think Chief. John would you please put those weapons in the trash can please? Don't worry everyone, I just need them out of the way for a few moments."

Adam remembered when Kevin pulled a gun on him during the Predjama mission. Once he was disarmed, Kevin proceeded to enlighten him about the existence of werewolves. "No, it's not possible he's gonna do this with the whole damn team. It's insane."

"Kevin, I already told them it was my fault. I didn't tell them because of my Grandparents and..."

"I'm sure it was a wonderful story Adam, sorry I missed it," he said as he tossed the Sig to Jake. Garrett saw the chance to get out of whatever was going on with this psycho so he took it.

"Now I have your ass Dvorska," he screamed as he started to stand up, but Jake raised the weapon and pointed at Garrett chest.

"For once in your life will you just sit down and hear someone out. I think you're gonna learn more than you ever thought possible.