Path of the Vampire forum

(Part 2 of Dream sequence.)

They were to hit a fuel dump. He had the location marked on his map. If they took this location out then the enemy wouldn't be able to resupply. It was one of four vital targets for them to destroy. Him and his unit were just a thousand yards away now. He looked down the sights of his sniper rifle and nodded to a few others. They would close in while a few of them would keep watch and take out any target that presented itself. As the men moved forward he noticed a few of the insurgents show themselves. In a matter of seconds each one was down. He allowed himself a small smile as the rest moved up, closer into position. When they were set him and the two others moved closer. They were playing leap frog as it were. Just as they got into position all hell broke loose.

The loud whistle of mortar shells seemed all to real now. In a matter of thirty seconds he counted around a dozen shells incoming. Before he could say anything the shells landed, taking out three of his men. And then even more shells started to come in.

"Get out of here now! It's an ambush!"

As he was yelling out his orders the insurgents started pouring out of the fuel dump. The strength of numbers was more than H.Q. had thought. By his quick evaluation of the situation there must have been at least two hundred troops closing in around them. The forward part of the unit had set up the heavy guns and opened up on the advancing troops. The rest of the unit was trying to make its way to the rocks to set up firing positions and have some cover. Then the unmistakable sound of tanks was heard. Coming out of the small base was five tanks. He knew they were in serious trouble. Just as his men had got into cover the tanks let loose. Thankfully their shots went wild and missed all together. As the enemy advanced the forward line had started to fall back, guns still firing and taking out a few more of the enemy. Then the tanks had open fired again. This time one of the shells landed close enough to take out two more of his men. The next thing he had felt was warm liquid and body parts. He had to do something or all of his men would be dead.

"Get the hell out of here! All of you. That's an order Damn it!"

His men looked at him like he was crazy as he fired his rifle into the advancing enemy. They would not leave him or anyone behind. He knew his troops would stay to the last, even if it meant death. Then it happened. He was hit. A bullet had caught him in the leg. He ducked down behind the rocks to reload as Murphy had come over to try and get something of a bandage on it. He looked over the rocks just in time to see a few insurgents had gotten close enough to lob grenades. And that they did. He fired his pistol and took out one but not before the grenades were thrown. He grabbed Murphy and shielded her. Luckily two of the grenades went wild but the third had taken out another of his men. It was down to him, Murphy, Perez and Price. Those two were blazing away with all they had. M-16's, Pistols, Grenades. The trouble was they were now surrounded and they still had to deal with those damn tanks! Now the enemy started to close in around them. It didn't seem to matter at this point as they knew the end would be soon. He looked to Murphy and said..

"Find some way to get the hell out of here! That is an order soldier! Take Price and Per..."

He didn't have time to finish his order as the area just exploded from shells. He looked around after the dust had cleared and noticed that it was just him and Murphy. He looked to her and shook his head and whispered as he seen the enemy now on top of them with guns pointed towards them.

"I'm sorry Murphy. I failed you all and got everyone killed."

The one who seemed to be of rank had spoken in his native tongue telling them to surrender. He tossed his weapon to the side as did Murphy. They got on their knees and placed hands behind head and were then taken prisoner. The date was January 31.


(Historical fact shows that on Jan 31 Iraq captures first U.S. female prisoner of war)

The trek across the dark desert was largely uneventful from the mystic's view of Chain's memories. The team moved almost in a text book manner. Not that she was an authority on such things, but the movements suggested they were not treating this as a walk at the beach. Caution and care was taken as they advanced along. She also noted how all were taking their cues from Chain. That told her these people trusted him. Such a small detail, but very vital in what she was seeing now. The mood was very important to the overall picture.

As they approached the small camp in the wild, her attention faltered. Again, she was no military mind but something was wrong with this picture. Her own feelings and experiences were leaking into the process now and the logic of 'Who would leave such a thing so carelessly guarded?' came to her. As the token guards were dealt with and the troops advanced into position, it was reminding her of a trap herself and some others of her tribe had walked into one night. The warehouse was a temptation and the police knew it. They simply waited for the mice to come for the cheese.

Just as she began to feel her observations were wrong, the world went insane. She could not process what she was seeing properly. Fighting for her life on the streets as a child and vampire warfare in the now paled in comparison to the carnage suddenly erupting around them. Now the cats sprang the trap for the mice. The mice fought valiantly and at one point it appeared (to her) they might actually survive this till the sound of lumbering metal was heard. To use her warehouse example in comparison, once they had entered, the police cars softly surrounded the building and greeted them with flashing lights and bullhorns blaring as they tried to run. The difference was no one was shooting till one of the gypsies took a pot shot at one of the cars and then a similar hell erupted not of tank fire but 12 gauge shotguns blazing. Bit by bit, Chain's troops were wiped out. Again, she felt that trust those people had in him. Ordered to run, they refused. Unlike the group she was with in the past who scattered to the four winds. She lead the police on a merry chase among the crates till she found a way to go upwards unobserved and slip out onto the roof of the warehouse. Her leg on fire from stray shotgun pellets. Her and 3 others spend the day lying flat on the hot metal roof waiting for darkness to come again before they could finally escape. Chain's people had no such out in this. She watched the wounded and captured be taken away while Chain watched his die.

Finally the jaws of the trap swung fully closed. Chain and Tomi's mother (she could not help but think of her as such now) were surrounded. It was then Zodiac noticed the quality of the image was changing now. The clarity was fading as if a movie was slowly going out of focus. They were coming to the point she had been asked to help with finally.

"I will need your help in this," her voice gently encouraged him as she began to press her will into his mind. The blockage, in her view, looked like some dark, heavy curtain before her now. She could see where his memories ran around the spot to compensate for the blockage like water would cut a new path if the flow is blocked. "No turning to the right or the left this time, dear friend. Damn the torpedo's and full speed ahead." She forced her will against the spot while encouraging him. She could probably rip the veil down easily, but he had to want this or else it would simply close again before anything was learned. They would have to push together to open this properly.

Outwardly, she looked tired physically. This was a draining experience for her and the imagery of the small woman sitting with the giant was quite deceptive. The pair of them were fighting on her level now and not the real world the others sat watching in. Again, she pushed against the wall while using him as the point of the knife to cut through. "You have to want this," she urged as she pushed again. When the veil finally parted, it was sudden. The colors of memory flaring back into brightness and focus as the long hidden suddenly flamed back into life and recall.

(Part 3 of Dream sequence.)

He had woken up after being hit in the head with an enemy rifle. He looked around and found himself in a cell with a small pile of straw on the floor. Across the way was another cell. Inside was Murphy. He placed his hand to his head and rubbed it slightly. It hurt like hell as he felt the semi-dried blood. How long was he out for? Where was he? He didn't need to ask himself was was happening. He knew they were now P.O.W.'s. He half slid half crawled to the front of the cell and looked around. A guard sitting at the doorway armed but seemingly pretty relaxed. He looked over to Murphy and sighed. He called out to her and then watched as her head lifted. It had been beaten severely as blood had been dripping from her nose and forehead. He looked down as he spoke to her.

"I'm sorry Murphy." He then looked back up to her and got serious as he spoke again.

"Name, Rank and Serial Number. That is all. Do you understand me soldier! Nothing more no matter what."

Just then the door opened and in walked three armed guards and made their way to Murphy's cell. Unlocking it one went in and grabbed her, picking her up and half dragging, half walking her out. She shot him a look and nodded as they left. He didn't know how long they were gone but when they came back and tossed her in her cell, her uniform had been torn in several places, fresh blood had been dripping from her face and back. He also picked up the scent of burnt flesh. God he was pissed in ways some could not imagine. They came over to his cell and started to enter. He had to chance it. He made a rush at the one entering, spearing him perfectly. But just as he started to get up, his vision swirled and all faded to black.

He woke up in a daze, his head throbbing as blood was running down the back of his head. He slowly looked around and noticed four guards and an officer. He looked himself over and found himself tied to a chair. A small table a foot or so from him had a few things on it. He knew what they were. Torture devices. A few feet from that was a car battery and a pair of jumper cables. He knew this would not turn out good. He figured that is what they used on Murphy. First came the questions. The officer yelling them out as he should. But he knew how to respond.

"Cook, Thomas. Captain. Serial Number 52 346 646".

After that came the blows to the face. And all the while the same questions and answers were given. After a while the punches stopped. He just looked up and smiled, then spit blood on the officers boots. He just gave that cocky smile daring him to do even more punishment. And the officer obliged as he picked up a pair of jumper cables and slightly touched them to each other, tossing up sparks. Then he repeated the question. All Cook did was look at him and smile. The cables then touched his skin, shocking Cook a good bit. He let out a loud scream in pain and then grit his teeth as the cables were removed.

Now came a new set of questions. Who was his commander. How many troops in certain areas. Where supply depot's were. All Cook did was close his eyes and sigh. When he didn't respond the shock of the cables came again, but longer this time. Cook let out a long scream in pain as he looked into the officers eyes with a hate filled rage. Then the cables were removed. He set them to the side and picked up a vial and a needle, then filled it with some sort of liquid. The officer didn't even bother to use a swab, he just jammed the needle right into his arm and pressed the plunger. With a smile the officer stepped back and then leaned against the wall. After some time, he didn't know how long he began to feel the effects of the liquid. He kinda knew what it was but now he did know. It was truth serum. Now he knew he was screwed. The officer walked back over and started in again with his questions. That's when Cook had spilled everything. Anything the man wanted to know. Where troop bases were, supply drops, special missions, troop size with tanks and support. He didn't know how long it was but when the officer was done he left the room. Then the blows began again. This time it was the grunts that were having fun. Beating him with bamboo canes, rifle butts and even kicking him as hard as they could. All he could do was take it. He never made a sound no matter how bad it got. When they were done he was removed from his chair and dragged back to the cells, this time tossed into the cell with Murphy.

Murphy looked him over as he looked up at her. He was out of breath, bleeding and in so much pain that he kept passing in and out of conscience. She cared for him as best as she could, not having much to work with. She had used her clothing or what remained of it to clean the blood from his face and head. Using part of her t-shirt to use as bandages to cover the wounds on his arms and chest. It was then that she had leaned in and kissed his forehead and whispered to him softly.

"I will not let you die Thomas. You are one of the bravest men I have ever known and I will not let you or your name pass on."

She looked outside the cell and seen no guard, then went back to him and placed a small kiss on his lips. He looked up to her knowing she was hiss angel of mercy. She had done all she could to help him. She then took it a step further. She leaned him back on a make shift pillow and then took her time easing herself on top of him after removing his pants. He kept fading in and out of reality. Not knowing if this was a dream but after what seemed to be hours in his mind she removed herself from him, redressing him and laying down beside him, kissing his cheek softly.

"Now your name will live on when we get out of here. Please do not be mad as this is something I wished to do."

He fell back unconsciousness and the next time he woke he was in an ambulance with Murphy.

To say it was like being in a movie would be an error. It was more of a FPS (First Person Shooter) in action but someone else was working the controls. Worse, she could feel the emotions and the physical during all of it. Ghost echoes of the past, but things unfamiliar to her experiences.

It hurt.

It was animals treating people as animals. In ways the mystic doubted their captors even wanted information but an excuse to torment and torture their prizes. Again, she watched this with eyes not used to such things to make an exact judgment, but only could weigh in her own points of experience to make it flow. For one, it was obvious to her Chain cared about the woman. Possibly far more than their status as soldiers allowed for. She felt his rage as she was dragged back to her cage and his determination when his was opened.

Her physical form jerked about as the memories of the torture played out. Again, her own experiences paled to this except in ways the man could not understand. Sufficient to say, she had enough common ground in her own life to understand what it was like to be outnumbered and held captive against her will. His screams were of torment and rage while hers had been pure horror. She followed along, admiring how much he endured and fought those around him.

And then they raped him.

It was the only analogy she could come to when the needle pierced his flesh. Attacking him in a way he had no way to defend himself against. His mind began to crumble just as she had done in her own past and as the tormentor demanded, he obeyed.

"This is the real reason why you blocked this all away," she whispered as the information rolled off of his lips. From what she knew of the man called Chaindog in her present, physical pain and loss were not issues to hide away from and neither was it for Captain Thomas Cook in the past.

But doing something that betrayed your own kind-even if it was beyond your ability to resist- was quite another thing. Chain would never betray his fellow vampires, his faction, his friends or family, but Captain Cook could not stop himself in this. This was the heart of his problem and the gypsy swore to herself she would do all she could to help him deal with this in time.

Another beating. More flinching as she recoiled from the phantom blows. Thin tracks of crimson began to escape the corners of her eyes, not from the 'pain' but in sorrow over what she had discovered within in. Finally he was returned and tossed into the woman's cage. Every nerve inside of her mirroring the pain the man was in. She watched Murphy try to tend him as best as conditions allowed in a series of images and blackness then images again. She simply floated along until the scene changed again.

"And behind the real secret, another one hidden away," The fact that he and Tomi's mother had had sex was not what he was blocking, but the event was too closely tied to what he was truly hiding himself from and got swept up in the process. To remember this meant he remembered his weakness, his failure and what he considered betrayal. Her view allowed her a deep glimpse into the woman's eyes and she saw it there as well. It never would have been an 'I love you' relationship between them, but of bonds stronger and truer with respect born of fires not many could ever conceive of had been forged between them. What a set of parents they would have made together.

When the scene changed to the pair in an ambulance, Zodiac began to pull out of his memories and thoughts. Gently her fingers caressed his brow as a small sob escaped her lips. Purple shaded lips kissed his brow gently before she sat upright and looked at the pair of vampires watching. A glance at the clock told her only a few moments had passed in real time for those who wondered.

Wiping her eyes, she whispered to them both. The strain of what she had managed apparent in her mental voice.

"I cannot.... I will not, tell you all that I saw within him, but I saw enough inside to know this much for a fact. One memory suppressed buried the facts concerning this child here."

Zodiac turned her gaze to Tomi and went into her memories. No details save one was required now. Visions of time spent with a woman who could be no one else but the one she saw within Chain.

"Her claim is truth. Chain and her mother did have an encounter, and she is the end result of that. He is her biological father." She glanced at the pair, then back to Tomi again.

"Now what do we do with you?" she send her message into the girl's brain before leaning back in her chair. She was exhausted now and looked it. Ginny came over and jumped in her lap and began to nuzzle and paw at her face in sympathy. One of the mystic's hands continued to stroke and sooth the man's brow as he slowly came back into the real world.

‘Ok.’ Tomi was thinking to herself. ‘This is weird.’ She had watched the Gypsy with a cauldron as she had stared at her ‘maybe Dad’, and she had watched as her ‘maybe Dad’ twitched and stiffened under the Gypsy’s stare. But the significance of what the Gypsy had been doing was completely lost on her.

Tomi didn’t realize that the Gypsy had super-human powers. Now did she realize she was surrounded by the undead. The seriously and deadly ..undead.To her, this group was what her mother said would happen when you ran around with the wrong sort and smoked pot all day. It wouldn’t surprise her a bit if cops suddenly surrounded the house and demanded they all come out with their hands up.

Yes, her ‘maybe’ Dad had said that ‘someone’ could help him remember, and that’s how she ended up here. But more and more it was looking like she being feed some huge honking pile of ********. If he didn’t want her around, he could have just said it. Sure she may have cried. But she was a big girl. And the only reason she would have cried was because of hormones. Yep that’s right. Stupid female hormones! She could be angry as hell.. and feel like splitting someone’s head into, but the minute she opened her mouth, she cried. And not those pretty tears you see in movies. Those ugly turn your nose red, swell your eyes up, snot running tears. At least she should thank him for not making her cry.

No Tomi wasn’t going to cry. Not in the least. If anything she was annoyed. Three women, who she didn’t know from Adam, were glaring and taunting her, and trying to get her to drink some drugged up tea. Then there was her ‘maybe’ father, saying he needed hypnotizing to prove if she were telling the truth to him, when a simple blood test would do that! Not to mention there was the Cat from Hell that decided to stalk her and torment her. And last but not least.. the cauldron. An honest to god cauldron was in this woman’s business and no one seemed to think it strange!?

Then it hit her. The cauldron. The drugged up tea. The staring. They were all freaking high on Meth and she was about to be… what? She didn’t know. But she wasn’t about to find out.

Tomi tried her best not to gasp out loud. This was methamphetamine house! The cauldron was what they made the meth in! She had just unwittingly stumbled into a drug making operation. Ok. She forced herself to stay calm, but even as she tried to look nonchalant and uncaring, sweat began to cling to her forehead. Her mother always said she had an over active imagination, Tomi had blamed her because they had such a boring life, that could use a little excitement. But now she was faced with that ‘excitement’, she really wished she hadn’t found it. At all.

Tomi thought she was doing a grand job of holding it together while she thought of a way out,... until the Gypsy spoke to her.

Her eyes got round. Popping out of her head, round. She stopped breathing. The Gypsy had spoken to her, but didn’t speak to her. The Gypsy was in her HEAD! They had already drugged her! How?! It didn’t matter.

Tomi bolted.

Dulce sat there with her eyes pinned on the scene that slowly unfolded and barely arched a brow as the young woman bolted like the roof above her was on fire and the walls were closing in. A stroke of her own fingers at the back of her neck sent minimal relief up the nape to her scalp. That, for whatever reason, was tingling with the increasing knowledge the human female was now on the run. This purging of Chain's memories and the truth that literally set the young woman free posed a whole new set of issues that need to be dealt with immediately. She didn't want to seem cold to the situation and what it meant to Chaindog but there was a human that was linked to the large marine who basically went MIA because of her own actions. Her jaw tightened slowly and she slid forward. Standing up tall from where she was otherwise waiting,her head cocked as her shoulders rolled back. She counted the seconds that passed while the room was quiet and missing the man's own flesh and blood.

"I can't even imagine what is inside his head." She felt a brief increase of guilt over the one regret she had which of course was taking what she had not truly intended to take. He may or may not have been oblivious to her own words that were no more of a whisper than Zodiacs that confirmed the claim was entirely true but she said them irregardless. "I hope to never know to be honest."

The man's life was far more important than her own and many others to the world she also was pulled from. The difference between the two situations was she would never miss what she had no first hand memory of. Chaindog remembered everything or would in time. So did his daughter. Every face in that room, what she witnessed. Her eyes swept over to Zodiac and moved before she found any comfort in them. She stepped towards Chain and placed her hand at his shoulder and curled the lengths over the top of the boulder of muscle that was capable of carrying the weight of a raging world upon it if needed. Her hand cupped gently then increased in its firm hold hoping either her touch or her voice would stir him to awareness of the unfortunate duty that was now at hand.

"I am sorry to say this..." Her words paused and she looked to Zodiac then back to the face she should have never taken so much from. "...you can't let her get away. If you don't go after her then we will have to."

If the man got in her face and sent his fist flying or tossed her through a wall she was prepared. She figured she had it coming. However, she was dead serious about her last words. If he didn't go after his daughter then she would.

He woke with a start. Just as he went into the dream he came out. He screamed silently but with all the fury that he had built up inside of him. He remembered everything. The fact that he gave away secrets, the fact that Murphy never told him about the child they had. When the scream stopped he looked around at the faces and then to the figure that had just bolted.He had heard Dulce's words and nodded,, his hands clenched to the chair, cracking the arms.

"You wont touch her. If you do I will rip your head off and **** down your neck! This is my matter to handle."

He quickly stepped out of the room, following after Tomi, calling her name, asking her to stop for just a minute.