Chapter Five

There was a pounding on Keith’s door as his eyes slowly drew open, he noticed Kirsten had already woken up and was rummaging through Keith’s fridge, “You’re almost out of milk!” she called from behind open cupboards.
Keith noticed he was still in a wolf form and felt nervous that he would never return to being human. Keith walked to the door; wrapping a meaty hand around the frail handle he gentle pulled the door ajar.
“Greeting’s Master Sutherland, Lady Prestor has requested your presence in the meeting hall immediately.” The man was brisk and to the point as he trundled off down the mansion’s hallway perhaps to deliver a message to another one of Keith’s kind.
Keith cleared a large arched doorway into a dimly lit room, decorated with painting’s that should belong in a museum and candles.
“Ah... Keith how nice of you to finally grace us with your presence” Danielle spoke sarcastically making no effort to hide her irritation.
“Sorry Danielle, I only just received your message, perhaps you should invest in phones.” Keith regretted telling the woman what to do because the moment those words left his head he felt like it was hit by a steel bat.
“You will learn respect.” She hissed at Keith, “Now about why I called you down here these are some very important people I’d like you to meet, we have Eva Bardwell she’s an elder lycan, 3300 years ago she was a Queen, in Egypt until her empire was lost to rise of Rome.” Keith looked at the woman, whose skin was rather pale she had dark brown hair but her eyes were such a light shade of blue they almost appeared white, she was wearing a Black tank top that cut short exposing her naval and a pair of large dagger’s rested on her hip’s above her tight leather pants, she looked at Keith but otherwise gave no other acknowledgement he was in the room.
“And this is Lord Hyren” Danielle gestured to the man standing to Eva’s left, “He’s 2600 making him the youngest of the elder’s he was an General in the Roman empire, he was bitten during a campaign in northern Europe.” Keith looked at this large man, he stood about six foot five inches with short shaved hair, scars on his face and arm’s a declaration to the human life he led. He wore a white shirt with a black over coat and black jeans. The man gave Keith a quick nod of his head as acknowledgement.
“You are going to have to leave soon, we’ve just received word that the UN is making a move against us, and we are evacuating the premises. Eva and Hyren have recently lost their safe houses to the human’s.” Danielle spoke thickly fighting with emotions.
“Excuse me the UN? As in the United Nations? I don’t understand” Keith was worried about what this meant.
“Since human’s discovered our existence they’ve been trying to think of ways they can exploit our species, use us in their petty war’s, they have set up miniature faction’s that act as separate entities but it is all linked via a money trail, I believe you were contacted by one mini faction, calling themselves TRL. TRL specialize in trying to create lycan’s through artificial mean’s their primary goal is turn human’s into us. Other factions like the brother hood, purely are on a hunt and destroy mission, their job is to weed out werewolf safe houses, like this and kill us, and their research department creates weapons capable of rendering our healing ability’s inactive. Right now it’s the Brother Hood that is on the move.”
“I don’t understand why don’t we just fight back?”
“Because, we aren’t death proof, they have ten times our number in active force. Going against the Brother Hood will mean the eradication of our species our only option is to run.” Her words were heavy with regret and guilt as though she felt she was the one to blame.
“How did they find us?” Keith asked.
“Same way we find out their information we have spies on both side’s who are as we speak playing a game of cat and mouse where they must find the other spy without being caught themselves.” Danielle’s eyes were cast downwards as she spoke Eva walked up beside Danielle and gently placed her slender hand on her shoulders.
“Keith” Eva called for his attention. “This is my plan, not Danielle’s” she paused as Danielle stormed out of the room a look of depression curling her naturally beautiful face into something heart breaking, he could almost feel her pain for all the lycan’s she’s taken upon her shoulders to care for.
“He thinks we can stop the brother hood, but we needed a field commander when going through the records of the lycan’s present here we saw your military service and wanted you to lead the team.” Her eyes were cold and serious, “We plan to take an elite strike force made up of our best, and hit the brother hood’s HQ first.” She paused to issue a command into a radio she had kept on her wrist “Send them in.”
Keith was quick to notice Logan step through the door his massive werewolf form blotted Keith’s view of the next to enter, it was a slender woman who dressed with a black t-shirt black leather pants combat boots a black over coat, and pair of sunglasses.
Keith’s eyes almost immediately fell to the massive twin blades she wore on her fore arm’s they extended about a foot past her hand’s and seemed to be attached to a mechanism controlled via a device on her palm, allowing her to attract and retract them with a push of a button, Across her back she bore a .50 caliber M82A1 Barrett.
Following her was an average sized man dressed much the same as Hyren, with a white t-shirt black pants and a black coat, his wavy blond hair swept back with his black sun glasses resting on the top.
The man looked much more like a movie star then a soldier, Keith sighed but was content to accept this man into his squad.
The man carried a G36K Carbine across his back and a pair of Mp5A3’s at his hips, why the man needed so many Semi-Autos was beyond Keith’s understanding.
Soon after the man entered, another followed suite. The man was around Keith’s height, he kept his head shaven, his eyes were dark rimmed and blood shot.
He wore a black tank top with black pants, black combat boots and a black overcoat; he kept the hood up, as he turned to face Keith.
On his back he had a HK69A1 40mm Grenade launcher, his skin was a dark tan, and his eyes shone with a white light, around his neck he wore a noticeable two inch shark tooth, almost giving him the impression he would rather be carving waves in Hawaii then going into combat. At his hips sat two Green Beret knives and beside the knife on his right side rested a G36K carbine.
A tall, slender blond woman was last to enter the room her hair was long and wavy her eyes were a deep shade of black while her face was pale. Appearing in the dimly lit room almost as a ghost, she wore no jewelry and had a white t-shirt that must have been three sizes to small she wore a black pair of leather pant’s and again another black over coat, her weapon’s were a pair of katana-like sword’s that she carried on her back, at her hips she carried a pair of desert eagle’s loaded with .50 cal ammunition.
“Going in order they entered the room we got, Logan.” Hyren began introducing them Logan gave another quick nod to Keith.
“And then we got Cathy or sometimes catty. she is our on feild medic and sniper.” He added the last part with a grin that got a small chuckle from some of the members in the room.
“Then we have Marco, he’s from the 1950’s when movies had become a big deal, which may explain his appearance, but he fought in world war two and would be a valuable asset.” Marco combed his hair ignoring his introduction, “Marco!” Hyren snapped, “Show your officer the respect he deserves, Marco gave Keith a mocking salute.
“We’ll work on that.” Keith snarled.
“Then we have Keddir, demolition expert, he’s been a valuable asset in every mission he’s performed, no squad is complete without him.” Keddir gave Keith a friendly wave but his face remained cold and stiff as granite.
“Lastly we have Ruth but everyone calls her ghost, shes a security system expert and computer programmer, she'll hack a surveillance camera with a coat hanger and chewing gum.
Ghost was cleaning her weapon’s stopping briefly to give Keith a friendly smile and a wink, and then going back to polishing her already shiny desert eagle guns.

“I’m leaving now, I might not come back it will be dangerous for you to remain here, once I’m gone I can’t guarantee your safety.” Keith waited for his servant to translate to Kirsten, who listened intently, her face revealed her confusion “Keith can’t I just go with you?” her voice was wavering.
“Kirsten, it’s too dangerous” Keith paused to let out a sigh that sounded loud through his wolf muzzle, whistling slightly on his teeth “I’ve arranged for my servant to smuggle you out of the building tonight, he will stay with you, until you’re completely safe or otherwise killed.”
Kirsten was fighting back tears, although Keith never reciprocated his feeling’s for her she had learned she probably owed him her life, and felt a strange affection for the creature.

The sound of the helicopters blades chopping at the air was working in rhythm with Keith’s heart, thump, thump, thump.
The wind from the rotors blew forcefully ruffling Keith’s grey fur, his piercing eyes looked over his soldier’s, they wore a lot of black, I suppose it will have to do, Keith thought, with malcontent.
Keith had done extensive research on the brother hood’s forward base which would be their first target it was well defended except from the east side where the river ran their defenses seemed to slack of a bit obviously they don’t expect a surprise attack from the river, at least Keith can use that river to get close to the base undetected.

Reaching with his large clawed hand towards the bar’s framing the Helicopter door, Keith climbed on board the motors whirled and the helicopter dipped a bit, before it’s engine adjusted to his weight.
Next to get on was Logan, again the engine whined with the additional weight.
This protesting from the Helicopters silent engine made Keith doubt the integrity of the
SAS NH-90 Stealth helicopter, lycan’s have made a very lucrative amount of money through selling their antiquities from lives they used to live, and in turn can afford pretty much anything they desire, they got bank account’s spread out over hundreds of names combined that create billions.
“Move it people!” Keith barked, causing his squad too practically fly onboard.
They were nervous about going to a mission that was deemed suicide by Danielle who strongly apposed the elder’s decision.
Everyone was cleaning their weapon’s as the Helicopter few silently over tree top’s the only one’s that would have known of the Helicopter’s presence would have to be directly below it as it flew over head, the machine was safe from radar detection and due to a engineering breakthrough in mechanics and aerodynamics it was almost entirely silent.
The lycan’s jumped of the helicopter as it flew, their entrance was quick leaping seventy feet through darkness into the hill side, upon hitting the ground they immediately began inspecting their equipment for damage, everything was secure and operational.
Lycan’s had the ability to see, hear and smell, at hundreds of levels higher then the human’s while in their wolf form, this prompeted Keith to designate Logan, as the mission scout.
“We understand the brother hood may have guards this far out from the outpost in which case I recommend staying with in thought range, they will also have infrared and starlight scopes, everyone check their anti-heat suites, what’s your surface temperature?”
“2 degrees, blue leader” they all responded the same.
“Good. Blue 2 I want you in the tree’s can you manage?” Logan nodded in acknowledgement.
“There is a river bed, their defenses are low from that side we are going to follow it.”
Keith regretted giving a mission briefing while on the mission field but it was the only opportunity.
The team moved slowly along the river, wadding the freezing water. the other's had heat suites that also served to keep them warm on the inside, however Keith felt like he was turning to ice as his limb's numbed from the cold his fur offering only partial protection, however being in the cold water lowered his body temprature allowing him to remain safer from infrared scope's.
Keith threw his hands up when he saw a signal from Logan indicating a enemy patrol was near by, crawling slowly to the side the river climbing up it’s bank Keith saw what Logan had spotted, Keith motioned with his hand for Blue 4 to come to him. Catty did as commanded and wadded through the water up to Keith. Projecting his thoughts silently to her, ready your rifle offer covering fire, if thing’s don’t turn out well. Catty nodded showing she understood as she reached slowly behind her back pulling her sniper rifle out.
Keith climbed slowly onto the dirt and leapt upwards so he was holding onto a tree trunk, same level above ground as Logan, Keith looked over to his comrade, they nodded to each other understanding what they had to do.
Leaping from tree to tree silently, the only noise was a slight scuff as feet slipped on bark that went undetected by the human patroll.
It didn't take long untill they were above the patrolling soldier’s Keith looked back towards Blue 4, who lay on her stomach on the river bank ready to shoot.
The patrol were four soldier’s they looked cold and miserable walking through the forest silently, one lit up a cigarette which was immediately snuffed out by the other’s in the patrol out of fear of being spotted, they were a cautious lot.
Keith motioned with his hand’s which two he will attack and Logan motioned his target’s through a serious of hand sign’s derived from sign language.
Dropping to the ground Keith immediately found his hands on the barrel of one of the soldier’s rifle’s ramming it into the soldier’s face whirling around he grabbed the man that was near the soldier, who seemed to be leading the patrol, the man had reached for his radio, but was to late, as Keith had already ripped the man’s arms off, Keith turned to see the man he hit with the rifle was crawling desperately towards a row of bushes in a vain attempt to flee, Keith stood on the man’s back reaching down with one hand snapped the man’s neck.
Standing up Keith saw Logan playing with a soldier pulling his limb’s off one at a time.
When Logan saw Keith staring at him in a disapproving manner Logan bent over and started whacking the soldier’s legs against his face until the soldier stopped all brain function, Logan shrugged innocently at Keith, as Keith motioned for them to continue towards their objective.
They hastened their speed being slightly less cautious boarding on plain reckless, they practically ran through the forest, they knew that because a patrol had been killed it won’t take the brother hood long until they noticed four of their soldiers have gone radio dead.
The team had an hour at best to reach their objective and destroy their radio before they can relay information back to their HQ.
Keith had climbed over the wall leaving the other’s at the river bed, the sound of foot steps caused Keith to leap into the shadow’s peering down at the wall’s battlement’s Keith saw a guard patrolling along it, his gun was in his hand’s ready but his walk suggested he was not prepared for any kind of attack, Keith was startled when Logan dropped down on the tower next to him, "what are you doing here?!" Keith projected his thoughts at Logan "I wanted to see what you were doing." Logan answered casually.
Keith waited for the guard to turn around before jumping down silently behind the human, With a quick swipe of his claw the man’s throat peeled open, as blood flowed freely. The humans was voice completely severed, this made the gaping whole that his mouth was open wide to perform the man’s silent opera, his dying mute scream.
Keith motioned to Logan to assist Keith with tearing down the radio tower, Logan immediately leapt onto the wall next to Keith the two unusually large lycans wrapped their arm’s around the base of the steel tower, the metal groaned and protested against the werewolf might, but soon it gave way, prompting attention from some of the bases more allert guards.
An alarm sounded and at that moment the base became alive, bullet’s whistled through the air with the sound of gun shot’s and the flash’s of muzzle blasts, “Logan get cover,” Logan didn’t have to be told he had already leapt behind a concrete wall. Keith was searching for a vantage point when he felt something hot hit his arm, pain flooded through his body, he looked at his arm as a metallic substance oozed from it like thick blood, “they got mercury tipped shell’s!” Keith yelled as he felt his arm going numb, he fell to the ground and looked over the wall at his squad they were running through the darkness, they kept to the shadow’s making it difficult to be seen with every movement Marco and Catty lay down covering fire for Ghost and Keddir who did the same for their squad member’s in return allowing the team to advance on human soldiers location with relative ease, they were truly far better trained then Keith expected. Almost every shot they made hit a target, Keddir had his grenade launcher out and fired it at a human hiding behind a barricade their was a soft explosion and two human’s ran out fully engulfed in flames.
Keith grimaced as he looked at his arm it wasn’t healing and the numbness was spreading.
Catty leapt over a barricade a series of human’s were currently reloading unprepared for this woman that just leapt amongst them, she swung her blades down opening arteries and throat’s quickly and efficiently, she dispatched the three soldier’s.
It wasn’t long until the soldier’s fell back inside the main entrance to the building they had positioned themselves strategically, at door corners etc this gave Keith a plan, "Keddir, Ghost, Marco stay here Catty Logan come with me" Keith barked.
The one’s who stayed behind kept taking pot shots of at the entrance way exchanging misses with the human’s Keith was confident the distraction was working as they worked their way to the side the building.
Keith held tightly onto his arm unsure of what to do about the poison in hit, ignoring the pain Keith rammed himself into the wall, "Logan come help" Keith ordered through clenched jaw's the pain was burning through Keith's body increasing with every failed attempt to break through the wall.
Logan leapt at the wall with Keith, the pairs combined might was more then the walls match, it wasn’t long until the steel reinforced concrete crumbled and the noise of their entry got the human’s attention who now realized they were surrounded.
In the brief moment they were distracted by Keith’s entry Marco and Keddir took the chance to get a few kill’s.
The human’s were rapidly loosing soldiers, Keith motioned for Catty to go first then Logan then Keith followed up the rear, down the narrow hallway, Catty leapt into combat the moment the human’s came into view, Keddir also came charging down the hallway with his G36K in his hand’s shooting quickly and efficiently. Once all the enemy forces had been eradicated they began searching the building for useful information, weapon’s anything that the human’s left behind, that could be remotely useful.

Marco came walking up to Keith his foot steps hinted his reluctance, his gaze was unsteady and nervous “Sir, Ghost attempted to by pass their security system’s on the computer’s but she slipped up and now the hard drive’s are blank, all the information the human’s had stored on them was destroyed, she’s currently working on retrieving as much information as possible but it’s not likely we’ll get anything.”
“Is that all soldier?” Keith asked his temper bubbling below the surface ready to erupt. Marco answered “no sir, it gets worse. There was also a cell phone call made during our attack, we are currently searching for the location of the human contacted, but because no one will answer the other line, it’s close to impossible, sir.”
Keith made a loud audible sigh that whistled on his fang’s, almost undermining his serious attitude, “Jesus fucking Christ can’t anything go right?” Keith mumbled as Catty worked on Keith’s wound.
“Alright everyone, fall in” Keith commanded, as everyone except Catty dropped what they were doing to assembled in front of Keith.
“Today’s mission was a successful we had no casualties, and no sever wounds.
However this was the easy part, there was only thirty one human’s posted in this outpost our next target has hundred and fifty, and there is a strong possibility our attack’s anonymity has been compromised, so we have to attack knowing we might not have the advantage of surprise this time.” Keith paused letting the squad process the information, “If you want to pull out now, you can.” Keith stared at his squad his eyes were unblinking and everyone stared back, shuffling their feet you could feel their insecurity in the air itself, then to no ones surprise Logan spoke. “I’ll tear their throats out on my own if I have too, I’m with you pup.” He said pup with a cheeky wink.
Logan’s words seemed to inspire the other lycan’s in the room who lifted their weapons and cheered saying brave words, to inspire themselves and each other.
“Then it’s settled we will attack tomorrow at 0430 hour’s, rest up people.” Keith sat on the human bed, in an empty bunker, his eyes looked around he could see a picture of the men who died there’s loved ones.
Keith turned his head so his eyes weren’t facing a photo of a man he saw get decapitated by Logan’s claws. The man was hugging his wife and child.
Keith eye’s no fell upon a table with a deck of card’s a whew glasses of whisky and cigarette butts complimented the poker chip’s, a few cigar’s still smoldered away hinting at what the men were doing, when they began their attack on the base, and Keith was reminded how human, these men were.
This feeling of guilt and regret made Keith feel like his body weighed twice as much in a matter of second’s and slowly the world faded away as Keith closed his inhuman eyes.

Keddir came charging into the room, his hands wrapped around a radio, “sir it’s for you” he said his voice was loud with excitement.
“This is Keith here” the other end of the radio was silent then a woman’s voice spoke “Keith, it’s Eva copy?”
Keith sighed “Copy that, what is it you need to tell me?”
“Keith, our spy has just informed us, the brother hood head quarters was attacked at approximately 0730 hour's, there were few survivors, the survivors however are retreating back to Italy, there is no confirmation on the size of the force that attacked or who they were... Keith we might have an unknown ally in this war, but we can't be sure of their intention's until they make themselves known to us, come back to the castle for your debriefing." the line went dead after Keith gave his acknowledgement of the message.

Everyone in the squad assembled at Keith, it was close to midday and they were all still tired, “We’ve been given orders to return to the castle. That is all.”
Everyone looked at each other questioningly the sound of shuffling feet radiated through the room, as everyone scuffed their heel's along the carpet, a characteristic picked up from their human lives showing their confusion, and indecisiveness, as they tried to understand what had changed.