After the Pandemic: The Enemy of My Enemy (part 13): Words and Swords (1089 hits)
Category: Quotes & StoriesRating: 1.95 on 30 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by The Caes (View user info) at 2005-05-27 19:41:24 EDT
http://www.ubersite.com/m/61238 -- Introduction -- Jack McCallum
http://www.ubersite.com/m/61350 -- Variant C -- Jack McCallum
http://www.ubersite.com/m/61505 -- Part 1: Brianna
http://www.ubersite.com/m/61614 -- Part 2: Khalid
http://www.ubersite.com/m/63145 -- Part 3: The Meeting
http://www.ubersite.com/m/63504 -- Part 4: The Conversation
http://www.ubersite.com/m/63663 -- Part 5: The Story of Manhattan
http://www.ubersite.com/m/64024 -- Part 6: On the Streets of Jersey
http://www.ubersite.com/m/64325 -- Part 7: Tome
http://www.ubersite.com/m/64611 -- Part 8: Faing
http://www.ubersite.com/m/65301 -- Part 9: The Gathering
http://www.ubersite.com/m/65871 -- Part 10: Men Amongst Giants
http://www.ubersite.com/m/66684 -- Part 11: The Temptress and The Aristocrat
http://www.ubersite.com/m/66752 -- Part 12: Trial by Blood (cough)
Khalid saw the leech escape with Brianna hanging limply from his shoulder, and was filled with more anger and fear than he would readily admit. Brianna was the reason he decided to help these humans. Seeing her defiant yet hopeless struggle against her attackers in that church months ago, he was reminded of the humanity's potential. He remembered nobility, and honor, and strength, and there decided that the humans could not be subjugated by this plague of false vampires. And now his Strong One was being carried off into certain ignominious death.
> ABAYOME <
His thought-message rang in her mind like an alarm.
> do not shout <
> runner at the front with hostage, pursue <
> cannot - already engaged with leech resistance at back entrance <
Khalid spat a frustrated curse and broke the connection. He looked around and saw that the battle still raged. Anyone on his team capable of pursuing was either incapacitated by the explosion or engaged with the remnants of the enemy. It would seem that Brianna's fate was now in the hands of her own kind.
*****************
The fleeing leech skidded to a stop as he burst past the main doors and was confronted by Heather's perimeter squad, bristling with automatic weapons. He paused for less than a second before striking out east, keeping the shoulder he had Brianna slung over between him and the humans.
"Hold your fire!" Heather shouted. Even so burdened, the leech was traveling too fast for her team to get a clean shot. In the space of a breath he had breached the perimeter, clearing the hedges with an effortless leap. "Shit!" Heather spoke into her radio. "All perimeter teams, bloodsucker exiting the front with hostage, heading east!"
Tyler and Rick were situated along the east entrance of the building and received the message a half second after they saw the leech jump the bushes. Tyler saw wavy auburn hair twisted in a combat-functional braid and suddenly felt like he was teetering on the ledge of a pit.
"No no no, shit, no." He began moving towards the fleeing leech, knowing that he would never catch him. "Heather, was it Bree?" The dread was filling up in his stomach at an alarming rate.
"Could be, hard to tell." Heather's voice squawked back in his earpiece.
"Fuck that shit!!" He barked. "Was it Bree??" The dread in his belly was expanding now, stretching and prickling his insides.
"...I think so."
If Tyler listened to his stomach, it would have told him that he was falling, that the ledge gave out and he was plummeting into the hollow dark of an endless pit. He wanted to puke.
"Rick, I need you!" He called, but Rick was already running to his side. "There." Tyler pointed down the road. He was already too far away for Tyler to hit with his automatic rifle. Maybe if he had a more accurate weapon, but even so, he was no sniper. Tyler's fists clenched impotently as he watched his everything grow smaller and smaller in the distance.
Rick went down on one knee and aimed his PSG-1, thankful that the vampire was moving away from him in a parallel line instead of laterally. If you're heading straight away from the shooter, you might as well be standing still, no matter how fast you can run.
Patiently, Rick lined up the shot. He cleared his mind. He ignored Tyler's useless squirming, ignored the gunfire in the background, ignored the possibility that Brianna would die if he missed. The only thing he couldn't block out was the repellant voice squatting at the back of his head.
This is it. This is your chance. You'll be her hero. It whispered.
Shut up. Rick lined it up. He thought of the target. He thought of the wind.
Tyler's hands were trembling at his sides. Rick was taking too damn long. He had to hit him in the heart or head; otherwise the thing would keep running. He was getting smaller. Tyler tasted something metallic and realized he had bitten through his lip. What was he fucking waiting for? Then Rick's weapon jumped with a sharp 'crack'.
There was a short moment, an insignificant amount of time where the bullet was airborne. The moment was so fast it was almost immeasurable, yet somehow it stretched on for a small eternity without Tyler's heart making a beat. The distant leech stumbled and fell, dropping his human cargo like a bag of laundry.
Tyler was in motion before the leech had hit ground. Even at a full run, it felt like he was crawling. The leech lay in a roadkill sprawl on the concrete, his forehead missing. Tyler gathered Brianna in his arms. She had a scrape on her chin from when her kidnapper went down. The redness around her left eye promised an epic shiner. But there were no marks on her neck, no blood, no wounds. Tyler shook her gently and called her name.
Her eyelids fluttered sleepily. She looked around with a dull expression and saw the dead leech, and began to cry. Her first time, and she had let everyone down. "I'm sorry," she said. "I'm sorry." She buried her face in the curve of his neck.
"It's okay baby. It's okay. You did good." Tyler nearly wept with relief, and held her close as if something were trying to pull her away from him.
"She alright??" Rick asked, sucking air from the run.
Tyler nodded, but didn't look at him.
"Brianna, are you alright?" She didn't answer him.
Tyler stood up, holding her in his arms like a child. He turned and walked away without another word.
Rick's pupils turned to pinpricks as he watched Tyler carry her off. The muscles in his jaw stood out as he clenched his teeth. He saved her life. He saved her life and she didn't even answer him. Tyler turned his back and she didn't even know he was there.
He fingered his necklace of morbid souvenirs and looked down at his kill. Rick withdrew a set of pliers from his pocket and stooped down to claim his trophy.
*************
The raid was an austere success. The leech detachment had been completely eliminated with very few casualties. One man had been shot in the head and died instantly, and three humans were severely wounded, but two were expected to make full recoveries. Chief Turner's vest had turned a fatal bullet into bruised ribs. A few Kin had suffered wounds, but none serious enough to do enduring damage to their kind.
Anthony Turner was overseeing the evacuation and demolition of the facility. Holding his side and wincing with every movement, he gave directions and prompted his team to move quickly. The donors that were imprisoned in this Blood Bank were in varying states of mobility. Some were able to walk out on their own, others had been here for years in a forced coma, as the vampires fed an intravenous diet of nutrients into one arm and sucked out their life force from the other. They were being ferried out on stretchers and gurneys and anything else that had wheels. Outside they would be scattered to various drop off points, where members of other Luke Cells were waiting to distribute them into the Underground, and hopefully, sanctuary. There were hundreds of donors, stacked like cattle. A significant percentage of them were already dead in all the ways that mattered, the lights gone out behind their eyes. Their minds had collapsed but their bodies kept pumping blood, which was all the leeches wanted from them anyway. Anthony was constantly ushering his team away from these empty houses of people and towards the ones who could still be saved. When they blew the building, their bodies would find the peace that their minds had embraced long ago.
With the victory at this Blood Bank came the acquisition of enough vital fluid to last the Kin a considerable amount of their unnatural lifespans without ever feeding on a living human. The humans were siphoning out the contents of the large vats into dozens of more portable canisters. What they couldn't transport would be destroyed in the explosions, leaving the local Hemophagists only weak excuses to feed a city of hungry vampires with. They would blame the unassimilated magistrates, and internal aggression between gangs and factions would spike.
While the Sanguinary was hunting their own kind like witches in an elitist frenzy to find and punish the party that affronted them, the human/Kin alliance would be in Manhattan, establishing their base and gathering the high ground beneath their feet so they could strike at the Sanguinary with devastating and unexpected force. If all went to plan, the powers in New York would never even know the name of their enemy until they had already been struck down.
And it had almost been completely ruined. Khalid was angry. The thought of a leech escaping with Brianna was feeding a dangerous heat that ran up his spine. There was more than his Strong One's wellness at stake. A successful retreat could alert the Sanguinary to their plans, and they were not yet prepared for a direct conflict. They needed to take Manhattan to obtain a defensible position if they were to grapple with the Hemophagists on their home ground. Khalid's heart sang in silent joy when he saw that Brianna was safe. But this did little to quell his distemper at the incompetence that allowed it to happen.
Khalid approached Vilhelm Draconis, who lolled idly as if the only things worth looking at were to be found beneath his nose. Khalid swooped over to him, sharpening his talons.
"Vilhelm. I must have words with you."
"Certainly, Khalid," the nobleman replied with a bored sigh. "What troubles you?"
"YOU trouble me, aristocrat."
Vilhelm blinked. "What?" He searched the Arab's face, but his eyes contained all the mirth of a hunting hawk. "What do you mean, my brother?"
"We are not family, and for this you should feel grateful, for the wrath of brothers is fierce and devilish. And of this moment, you tempt my wrath."
"Khalid, don't be foolish," he said, waving his hand dismissively. "We are all brothers here, travelers along the path of moonlight and darkness. And I hear that you and I in particular share a common background of nobility and bearing over some of these more - " he cast a sideways glance at Domokos. " -- uncultured persons. Whatever your issue, I'm sure we can come to a gentlemanly agreement."
"It is my fondest hope. I am not here to mince words, Vilhelm. You have shown yourself to be a dangerous liability this day. You failed to stop those fleeing leeches because of your penchant for theatrics. Your posturing placed our plan in jeopardy. I do not want to see a repeat of this. Is this understood?"
"Come then, Khalid, aren't you being a trifle dramatic?"
Khalid's eyebrow jumped at the pot's accusation.
"I mean, really. Me, a liability?" Vilhelm chuckled richly. "I am the most gifted vampyre here. My sword skills are without peer, my sight is keen, my body strong. And let us not forget, I am a mist-shifter. No one else here can claim that distinction."
With effort, Khalid controlled his tongue. "It is not your gifts I question. It is your demeanor. This is a serious affair, and I will not have our fortune tested by needless foolishness. This is not a stage we perform on."
Vilhelm rolled his eyes. "Of course not, of course not. I fully understand, brother, there is no need to be concerned. We mustn't quarrel in front of the peasants, eh?" Vilhelm clapped his hand on Khalid's shoulder and rested it there.
Khalid's eyes pulled slowly to the hand and then returned to Vilhelm's false gaze. The air around him started to become uncomfortably warm.
"Entabeh, aristocrat." He whispered. "Remove your hand. You are not fit to touch me with it."
Vilhelm's nostrils flared imperiously. "Do not forget your place, fearless leader," he snapped. "Your ancestry is respectable, but you are in the presence of ancient nobility, and I will not be spoken to this way!" His declaration pitched grandly, turning the heads of those nearby.
"Ancient nobility?" Khalid roared. "My boots are older than you! I have allowed you your pretenses, but you foolishly try my patience, and I will NOT suffer fools!"
"You insolent wretch! I am Vilhelm Draconis - "
"YOUR NAME IS JERRY TALBOT!! You were born in Milwaukee in 1938, the son of a mechanic and a housewife! Do not presume to speak to ME about nobility and lineage!"
Vilhelm stood stunned by the blow of Khalid's words. Everything around them was silent and frozen, watching. The stillness pinned him to the spot and smothered him.
"I - "
For a moment, he could not find his voice.
"I am offended by your ridiculous accusation, Khalid. Clearly you are upset about almost losing your pet human. Perhaps we will talk of this when you have regained your composure." With that, he turned briskly and marched out the nearest exit, nose reaching for the ceiling.
The frozen moment melted, and everyone resumed their tasks. With some difficultly, Khalid unknotted his eyebrows and muzzled his anger. Perhaps his temper had bested him this day. He looked up and saw Bashir coolly regarding him from across the room, arms folded. They searched each other's eyes for a moment. Then Bashir broke the moment and walked away.
As he turned to other matters, Khalid could not help but think of a phrase his father used to be fond of.
The wound of words is worse than the wound of swords.
User Reviews
Submitted by Axolotl (user info) at 2006-04-06 10:58:26 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by thecaes (user info) at 2005-08-29 04:19:30 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Oh, and the Wilhelm thing; I was trying to hint that he was pretending to be something that he was not -- specifically that he was pretending to be ancient royalty when really he's a young schmuck.
Submitted by zakalwe (user info) at 2005-08-28 12:01:07 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
it's been a while since I read the set-up posts: are the Hemophagists and the Sanguinary the same organisation? and wasn't it pretty heavily hinted that Wilhelm was an imposter a few installments ago?
now I am expecting a battle for Brianna between Tyler, Rick and Khalid. should be interesting.
Submitted by notyou (user info) at 2005-07-07 14:13:30 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by runswithscissors (user info) at 2005-06-17 15:45:29 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
As always, most excellent!
Submitted by JonnyX (user info) at 2005-06-17 15:22:00 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Jack_McCallum (user info) at 2005-06-17 11:56:57 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Just blew through a shitload of chapters with my morning coffee.
GOOD stuff.
Submitted by Rads_wife (user info) at 2005-06-14 00:52:52 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
http://www.ubersite.com/m/68315
WINNER!!!
Submitted by Spam (user info) at 2005-06-06 08:11:49 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Jungle_Jimanee (user info) at 2005-06-02 12:54:03 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Great and a nice sword pic too.
Submitted by thecaes (user info) at 2005-06-02 00:06:36 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Oh, thanks for the comments, by the way.
Submitted by thecaes (user info) at 2005-06-02 00:06:24 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
I should have worked it into the story somewhere, but I forgot and now its too late, but basically Khalid got the information from Tome, who knows a lot about everybody's past. That's the problem with posting stuff, you can't go back and change it if you omit something or get a good idea.
Submitted by Benny (user info) at 2005-06-01 23:21:10 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
A very neat piece of writing. I thought the argument between Khalid and "Jerry" played out quite well. I believed it to be within Khalid's nature to become angry when an ally made a potentially fatal mistake and failed to admit it or repent.
It makes me curious as to how Khalid knows the exact details of Vilhelm's past.
Submitted by nrduncan (user info) at 2005-05-31 11:56:41 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Very Well Done
Submitted by munkeypants (user info) at 2005-05-30 23:15:58 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
You've become one of my favorites.
Submitted by thorpe (user info) at 2005-05-28 23:13:44 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I'll have to start reading these one day.
Submitted by corn_nugget (user info) at 2005-05-28 18:41:15 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by thecaes (user info) at 2005-05-27 22:05:08 (#)
Ranking: 0
Question: how did the characterization of Vilhelm and Khalid come across? Did that conversation make sense to you guys? Did the moment where Vilhelm's humble origin is revealed have any punch, or was it just, 'meh'? I wanted to build Vilhelm/Jerry up as a snotty, fake little bitch so that it would be satisfying to see him taken down a peg by Khalid (the real deal). Did this work for you?
***
I thought it worked well. I don't think Khalid seems hot headed, at all. He seems very noble, poised, and controlled... the fact that he felt the need to lash out at Vilhelm shows that he had reached a breaking point. You've, thus far, painted Khalid as a level headed chap... so it is obvious, durring this argument, that Vilhelm irritates Khalid, and has irritated him for Quite Some Time, but Khalid was too proper and cultured to address these annoyances- Until Now... Now, because these little things that annoy Khalid have turned into something that has endangered someone who is getting closer and closer to Khalids heart.
Submitted by corn_nugget (user info) at 2005-05-28 18:37:11 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Jerry Talbot? What a stupid name. Fitting, isn't it?
I liked this post a lot, Caesar. I'm anxious to see how Ricks jealousy plays out, and to hear more about this midwesterner who poses as an ancient legend.
Submitted by Chroniclysm (user info) at 2005-05-28 14:09:34 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I'm definitely going to read these when you're done.
+2 on good faith.
Submitted by stardamage (user info) at 2005-05-28 08:29:41 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
*holds out plate*
More, please.
I think hotheaded is okay. The argument seemed genuine and unforced.
Submitted by Viper_04 (user info) at 2005-05-28 02:38:12 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
I understand the hothead part...i just wasn't sure if you wanted him to come across as unpredictabe, but suppose that that follows the mysterious allure that you've given him
Submitted by thecaes (user info) at 2005-05-28 02:06:34 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Hotheaded is fine...he does have a bit of a temper...and I'd imagine someone of authentic noble lineage would be pretty irritated at someone who was basically a peasant acting grandiosely superior. I tried to give the impression that he's been going on for weeks like this, but it's hard to do without adding in some 'filler' posts, which I did not want to do because this is just taking too long.
Thanks for the input, guys, I appreciate it.
Submitted by Viper_04 (user info) at 2005-05-28 01:48:48 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Yeah....well in response you your question, I think it makes Khalid seem very hot headed and unpredictable, but it was good to see the snobby Vilhelm put in his place.
This serious is awesome....i think you're going to be over 20 part by the end...
Submitted by CoreaPeekay (user info) at 2005-05-27 23:41:06 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by thecaes (user info) at 2005-05-27 22:05:08 (#)
Ranking: 0
Question: how did the characterization of Vilhelm and Khalid come across? Did that conversation make sense to you guys? Did the moment where Vilhelm's humble origin is revealed have any punch, or was it just, 'meh'? I wanted to build Vilhelm/Jerry up as a snotty, fake little bitch so that it would be satisfying to see him taken down a peg by Khalid (the real deal). Did this work for you?
--------------------------
I thought it was very interesting, and I actually wanted to know more about it for some reason. Though if you did that you'd have to divulge into all the other vamp histories maybe. then again I'm also too inquisitive.
Great either way.
Submitted by thecaes (user info) at 2005-05-27 22:05:08 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Question: how did the characterization of Vilhelm and Khalid come across? Did that conversation make sense to you guys? Did the moment where Vilhelm's humble origin is revealed have any punch, or was it just, 'meh'? I wanted to build Vilhelm/Jerry up as a snotty, fake little bitch so that it would be satisfying to see him taken down a peg by Khalid (the real deal). Did this work for you?
Submitted by Yes (user info) at 2005-05-27 21:56:01 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
badass scimi... badass story.
Submitted by bob (user info) at 2005-05-27 20:39:03 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
13 of ?
Submitted by knucklesnelson (user info) at 2005-05-27 20:37:17 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
kewl
Submitted by thecaes (user info) at 2005-05-27 19:59:22 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
I love that scimitar.
Darko, I don't know...I have a plan and know what I want to do, I'm just not sure how long it will take to get there. I'd say I'm roughly three quarters done. The next post will have some set-up, and then they're going into Manhattan, no more dicking around.
Submitted by darko (user info) at 2005-05-27 19:51:33 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
How many more of these are you doing in this series? I usually don't read or rate untill they are all finished. +2 on good faith.