Animalhouse (Working title)
an excerpt

Book 1
Prologue

Pittsburgh, PA
10.30 P.M.
December 21, 2000

It is mid-winter, almost Christmas and there’s barely any snow on the ground. The last snow fell just last week, but the weather, being abnormal for this climate, had already melted it into this gooey concoction of slime and road salt. Dr. Barbara Avery is waiting at the train station for the midnight rail to the small town of Erie. It is almost 35 degrees and quite comfortable compared to most of the winters she has spent here. The winters of her past, that bring back many of her beloved childhood memories, would have made it impossible to think of her being outside at this hour. The temperature alone would have made it unbearable. The snow that usually fell by this time of year would have made the roads impassable within minutes if the road crews were not working an all-night shift.
Barbara has spent all her life here. When she was young, she loved to play in the soft, white drifts making snow angels and snowmen, but as she grew older, she found that the winter white no longer held her dreams the way it had. It doesn’t fascinate her any more. Maybe this is because she grew up. Many psychologists would argue that what fascinates and awes a child doesn’t have the same effect on adults.
By high school, she found that she couldn’t wait to get out of this town. It wasn’t the desire to get away from her family, nor the memory of something that had gone horribly wrong in her hometown, but the simple desire to get away, to find out what life had in store for her. She couldn’t bear the idea of living in that small town for the rest of her adult life. That mere thought would hamper her breathing when she was younger. Now, however, she is in her mid forties and working on her second divorce. Now she realizes that what was giving her angst before, is now making her feel more secure.
Her second husband, Rob, couldn’t understand this. This was one of the many reasons why she is now considered the Ex-Mrs. Rob Whitmore, the National Bank president. They had a courtship and first year marriage that anyone would dare to dream of having. Rob would kiss her hand when they would meet for lunch. He would open doors for her and generally most of the time, make her feel like a goddess. But the last few years of their five year marriage was different. He stopped calling her in the middle of the day just to say hi and that he loved her. He had stopped meeting her at the door of their home when she came home late after having an evening meeting with a client. Barbara just stopped feeling the love that she had felt for him for so long. When her feelings were discussed, he would shrug it off and say that everything was okay and that he was just overwhelmed these days at work. Later, she found out about him and his secretary, Shelly. They had an office affair going on for the better part of the previous year.
Can’t really blame him though. She hasn’t been the better part of the marriage for a long time. She let her work get in the way of their relationship. And that, dear friends, is the tried and true way to end a marriage quick, fast, and in a hurry.
Now, she finds herself alone at this all but deserted train station in the middle of night so close to Christmas.
Alone.
With her eyes getting moist, she takes a glance at her watch and realizes that the train is already ten minutes late. Damn! Why does this always have to happen? Why must she be alone…here…right now?
In the wake of her thinking back, she barely perceived the sound of a thud in the alleyway behind her. More like a black hole than an alley really. The architects that designed the place opted for optimum space usage rather than comfort of the passengers of the train terminal it seems.
She turned around to stare into the darkness between the train terminal and the storage building and saw black like charcoal staring right back at her. Had she not been here all alone, the noise wouldn’t have startled her quite as much.
The noise was a dull thud as if a solid object fell from some height and hit the ground. After seeing nothing in the alley but darkness, she turned back around to the tracks and looked, impatiently, up and down the tracks in search of the train.
“God, I am acting like a school girl scared of her shadow.” She said to herself in shame at how she felt and how she was acting.
Then a low hiss as if it is coming a distance away. Thinking it’s the train’s brakes gearing up for the stop she glanced back down the track. Having seen nothing coming from left or right, she questions her sanity. The hissing gets louder and deeper as it gets closer. She turned reflexively to her rear again and sees the most gruesome sight she has ever seen. A cat! The cat fled from the alleyway into the light and stopped to look at her. Barbara rolls her eyes and smiles at the nocturnal devil creature. There are no such things as monsters. That’s what her dear father used to tell her when he tucked her, lovingly, into bed as she complained about noises she had heard the night before coming from her closet. There are no such things as monsters! She would of course agree with her daddy, but deep down she didn’t believe it. No child really believes this because they really do exist if only in their mind. In a child’s mind, a monster can come alive and torment to its heart’s content as long as the child believes.
She turned away from the cat while continuing her restless wait for the train. She contemplated going back to the terminal to inquire about the whereabouts of the illusive train if not just to have an excuse to get back into the light.
The hissing started again, this time right behind her. Barbara jumped, immediately feeling foolish for letting the cat get the best of her again! She turned around looking for the nasty beast that rudely interrupted her thoughts earlier and, as before, saw nothing but darkness in the alleyway. A pair of lights appeared as if a car is off in the distance moving closer. But she knows this isn’t possible. The alleyway is only four feet wide at its widest and definitely not the width of a car.
The lights flicker simultaneously, and Barbara realizes that the lights are not that of a car, but another nocturnal animal like that of the terrible beasty, the cat. She looked around for the ungrateful beast but it was nowhere to be found.
It happened way too fast for her mind to comprehend. She saw a flicker of movement out of the corner of her eye and felt a surge of anxiety. She whipped her head toward where she saw the flicker and saw something that totally disproved her parents’ theory about monsters being in this world. Or maybe the rumor that monsters actually don’t exist has never reached this things ear because here is a true monster. If not a monster, a horribly mutated animal that she has never seen before. It had claws the size of shark teeth and the skin looked opaque and smooth like a snake. It seemed to shine as if it were moist.
It just sat there as if poised to strike, but without making a move, almost as if it were waiting for her to make the first move. The only movement that was visible was the rhythmic rise and fall of its chest.
Barbara eyed the entrance to the terminal. The entrance to the terminal and her relative safety is only about thirty feet away. Could she sprint that far? Her reflexes didn’t give her a chance to answer that question because her legs decided to give it a shot anyway. Without giving the creature time to react, she moved in one fluid motion to the entrance. She ran as if her life depended on it, which it very well could have. This run could mean the very life or death of her.
She made it to the door and all of a sudden, the thing was on her back. She could hear the ripping of clothe and the creatures moans and hissing. The next thing she knew she was on the ground and the creature was on her back still ripping her clothes, but the only sound she heard was herself screaming. She failed her arms and legs to no avail.
Then the weight was off her. The pain was still there but it was not as searing as it had been. She eased her head around and saw the creature a few yards away, panting as if the strain of its attack on her took its breath away.
The thing didn’t move as she made her way all the way around to her back and half seated up. The thing was playing with her, just waiting for the right time to pounce. A soft glow was emanating from the creatures belly. The glow had a soft pinkish haze to it that was getting brighter as time went by.
Seconds turned to minutes and still no movement from the creature, but the glow went from the haze it was when she first noticed it to a brighter, more fluorescent hue as if the creature had a light bulb coming from inside its abdomen.
A low growl erupted from the creature sounding like a train. Then she realized it was the train coming.
With a flash of hope, she whipped her head to the tracks and saw the light from the train moving up to the loading platform and while she was looking at the loading dock the thing jumped. It landed on her again, this time on her stomach.
She felt the claws of its hind legs pierce her skin. The pain was like no other that she has ever felt. She let out a bellow that hasn’t escaped her since the first years of her life when the monsters from her dreams were attacking her in the middle of the night. She flailed her arms, batting at the creature head, arms, trying to break the contact it had on her; trying to do something. She was not going to just lay down and let this creature take her. She was a fighter and by God she will not give up.
Not even that subconscious pep talk was enough to give her the strength it required to haul the creature off of her, though. Even as she flailed, she noticed her strength waning, her movements slowing. She felt herself relax and realized with freight that the end is near. Darkness slowly consumed her vision allowing only one last sight, her blood pooling around her head. It must be her blood, she thought. The pain wasn’t so bad anymore, but she knew that it could be no other than her blood.
Then a strange feeling comes over her. The train station terminal, the train, and the creature itself didn’t seem to matter anymore. She feels a single tear running down her right eye, over her cheek. As the darkness threatens to consume her entirely, she hears a brief whistle blowing as the train eased to a halt and a blood curdling scream came next and then, darkness consumed her entirely.

Chapter 1
The Beginning

December 22, 2005
Lunchtime – It has begun.

‘Bloody rampage at the Pittsburgh Rambaleigh train station’ the headlines reported dutifully. The front page showed a picture of the victim covered up to her chest on the stretcher. Her head was uncovered giving the reader a semi-clear, black and white image of her. Another picture showed a wide-angle panorama shot of the terminal. Even though the picture was in normal newspaper black and white, the dark pool was unmistakable. The amount of blood was surreal. It seemed almost impossible that a human being could lose so much blood and still live. The newspaper reported that the victim was taken to a nearby hospital where she is in intensive care for potentially life threatening injuries.
“Have they no respect for the victim’s family?” A lady said over my shoulder as I was reading.
I couldn’t answer the overseer. My eyes were stuck on the picture of Barbara. How could anyone do this to Barbara? She was one of the most popular, well liked, and even beautiful, in my opinion, people in all Pittsburgh. I turned away from the woman and the newsstand and walked as fast as I could back to my office, the memory of that picture burned into my subconscious.
My office is a small but cozy apartment building turned office complex in downtown Pittsburgh. The sides are all brick, unlike most of the brick buildings you see today. Contractors trying to save money tend to skimp on the bricks on walls that people do not see often like alleyways and the rears of the buildings, making them of nothing more than sheet rock or plaster. Nevertheless, this one is wonderful. I have loved it ever since I moved in a few years ago. I run a small business in Architecture. I return old buildings back to their original state, or at least get it close as possible. Some old styles cannot be restored to original due to the type of materials used back when the building was young, but the beauty of my building failed to raise my spirits. All I could think about was the picture on the front page of the Pittsburgh Herald.
I opened the front door to the building and went in. The air was cold in the hall even though I could hear the rhythmic tics-tangs of the heated air moving loudly though the floor air ducts.
I moved up the stairs slowly, my thoughts of Barbara and our past.
Once in my office, I sat down at my desk and threw the paper on my desk scattering some relics of my business that couldn’t be further from my mind right now. I read the newspaper again and still couldn’t believe my eyes.
My mind immediately went back to the time when I was in England for my Masters in Architecture. Barbara and I went all the way back to the eighties when we were both in Abingdon College in London. She was working on a Doctorate in Psychology and I was nose deep in my studies of Architecture.
A tear formed in my eye again as nostalgia flooded my mind as a dam would flood when released. We were young lovers lost in our studies, but we loved each other like no other college couple could have. Even though we had our studies, leaving little time for us to be together, we still enjoyed the time we did have. Later our junior year, we were to meet at the Old Oak Tree Café, which was a student-meeting place for after school activities. I was on my way there with Lilies in my hands as a little surprise for her. She loved Lilies. Once I got there I surveyed the streets to see where she was. Not seeing her, I settled down for a wait. She finally got there a few minutes past five. I didn’t mind tardiness. There’s always a reason and it was never on purpose.
When she drew closer, I noticed that she walked with her arms folded tight to her chest as if she was cold and she had her head down. The air was chilly due to fall creeping around the corner but definitely not that cold.
I immediately knew something was wrong. It was only when she got closer when I noticed the tear on her cheek. I immediately drew her close to me, putting my arms around her and lifted her face to mine. She kissed me softly and I asked, “What’s wrong, Love? What in this life or the next could bring tears to a face as beautiful as this?”
She attempted a smile but failed. “I have to move. I have to go back to the United States after this semester.” She said and moved away from me.
The news hit me like a bat.

-------------------------

I must’ve been lost to the world for a moment or so because I didn’t hear someone come in and speak. When I recognized the voice as being Sally’s, I said, “What is it?”
“Sir…a Mr. Avalon phoned, he said he apologizes and that he is running a little late for his appointment with you.”
Avalon? I couldn’t think of any body by that name, much less any appointments this afternoon.
“Avalon?” I asked her.
“Yes…he’s your one-thirty.” She said in a quizzical tone that all but asked the question that was on her mind. What are you taking?
I looked at my watch in astonishment that it could be that late already.
Sally looked down at the paper on my desk and then at the paperwork and blue prints thrown to the floor.
She asks, “Is something wrong Aaron?”
I could tell she was getting worried because she called me by my first name. She hardly ever calls me by my first name. She is now and has always been so proper ever since we first met and I asked her to work for me.
I said, “I just read what happened at that train station. It’s disturbing that someone could do that much carnage.”
Suddenly embarrassed at the way I was acting towards this, I looked down at my watch and said, “I should probably prepare for Mr. Avalon then.”
She nodded and went back out the door closing it with a soft thump.
After she left I skimmed through the article one more time and shook my head, “Why.”

-------------------------

Mr. Avalon is a tall, slender man. In his dark gray suit, topcoat, and hat, he looked like one of those old gumshoes from the Sherlock Holmes novels.
I see him standing at the head of Sally’s desk as she is logging in his appointment time. I do this with all my visitors. I’m not trying to judge them as they come in. I’m merely trying to see what kind of people they seemed to be before they enter my office. Just a little paranoia on my part probably, but it never hurts to be too careful these days.
“Sir…Mr. Avalon is here to see you.” Sally said through the speaker on my desk.
“Show him in, Sally. Thank you.” I replied after punching the button to respond.
I got up and walked to the door to welcome him as I do with all my guests.
The door opened and Sally ushered him in. He smiled once he saw me and immediately responded to my hand with a firm but fluid grasp.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Lawten. I have heard great things about you. You come highly recommended.” He said in a nice, friendly tone.
I nodded at Sally and said, “Sally, could you bring Mr. Avalon and me some coffee?”
Then to the gentleman, “How would you like it?”
He responded with, “Black, please. Thank you.”
Sally nodded and left only to come back just a few moments later with two steaming cups of java. Good ole Sally. She always has a fresh pot made when clients are going to be here. I nodded to her thanks and she left with out speaking another word. Mr. Avalon smiled and said as she was walking out the door, “Thank you dear lady.”
When Sally closed the door behind her the weirdness began.
He began speaking, “Mr. Lawton…”
Interrupting with a swift hand gesture, I said, “Please. Call me Aaron. All my clients do.”
He smiled and said, “Thank you Aaron and please call me Gregory.”
He took a breath and began again, “Aaron, let me begin by telling you what I do. I am employed by a man that travels around the world looking for certain artifacts. Certain really old and really important artifacts. His name is, “He paused, “Draggon Van Wilkes.”
“I have heard of him. I think I saw him recently in the news. He saved a group of orphaned children from a burning building somewhere in the Middle East. I’m afraid I don’t remember much of the story behind it.”
“Indeed, the same man. We were in Tikrit, doing a study of some religious artifacts and he…well…was in the right place at the right time.”
I don’t think he was telling me the whole story, but I chose to save those questions for another time.
“What does any of this have to do with me?” I asked trying not to sound impatient “I am an architect, not an archaeologist.”
“Yes, but it’s not quite those skills that I would like to employ.” He said with a slight glance at my eyes.
“Aaron, I must confess, I have done some research into you.” He said pausing to get my reaction. “Research that has been rather fascinating to say the least. Before you began your quest to restore old buildings to their original beauty, you were a soldier in the US Army. To be more specific, a special operations soldier.”
“How did you get access to those records? Those records are sealed for a reason.” I stated flatly now not trying to hide my confusion and anger.
“I assure you, Aaron, your records and the facts in them will remain secure.” He said while putting his hand up as if ready to block a blow. “While working for Mr. Van Wlkes, we unearthed a certain artifact that, if my research is correct, you have come in contact with before. A golden amulet believed to have been made by Lucifer himself and is fabled to withhold the power to transport its owner to other places. Where these places are, of course, we do not know, but we do know that it works.”
He has definitely gotten my attention now. This amulet he is speaking of is in fact the one that my team and I found during a surveillance mission in Kosovo. I lost a soldier that day. A very good soldier and a friend.
“So…hypothetically speaking, if your research was in fact correct and I was that soldier a long time ago, what does this have to do with me now?” I asked not truly knowing if I really wanted to know the answer.
“While Mr. Van Wlkes was studying this tremendously valuable find, he disappeared. No one saw him leave his tent and no one has seen neither hide nor hair of him in the neighboring towns and, believe me, sir, we have searched everywhere. He just disappeared.”
“I see. What makes you think that this amulet actually worked? What makes you think that your boss just didn’t get scared or greedy and run with the amulet?” I asked already knowing the answer.
He bent over and pulled a file folder out of his briefcase that I only just now noticed he even had. He slid the folder my way and said, “Because the same thing happened to one of your colleagues while you were in…” He paused leafing through the information in the folder. “Ahhh yes, Kosovo, wasn’t it?”
All I could do was nod and stare blankly at him. He certainly has done his research.
“This file and all the information in it are confidential to the highest degree. It would have taken an act of god signed by three angels and a congressman from Heaven to pull this. How did you get it?” I asked bluntly.
“I believe the answer to your question is the first page in your folder.” He said, tapping the file with one long finger.
I opened it and immediately got a feeling that this has gotten infinitely worse.
The first page was a hand written note.
It said:
Aaron,
I am so sorry to bring this up again. I confided with Mr. Avalon, the details on your record because I now know that our friend could very well be alive. I have agreed to be a part of the team to go in and find and extract our friend and Mr. Van Wlkes. My allegiance is dependant on you participating. I want you to lead the team. I know that you are the one and only person that could even come close to pulling this off. Judging by the hellish places that we have encountered in our lifetime, hell couldn’t be much worse.
Again, Aaron, I am sorry for this. If you chose not to do this, I will understand.
You know how to reach me.

Your friend,
Paul

I read it again and looked up. “Mr. Avalon, I need some time to think about this. How much time do I have to make a decision?”
“Take as much time as you need. I will be staying in the area until you do make your decision.” With that he handed me a scrap of paper. On it was written the name and address of the hotel he is staying in and a phone number.
I nodded and he got up. Halfway to the door, he stopped and looked back at me and said with emotion, “We both have lost friends because of this. I just want him back. I think I can say that you feel the same way.”
Then he left.
I knew the rest of the day was going to be shot, so after finding out that I didn’t have any more appointments I took the rest of the day off and walked around town.
By four o’clock pm I was walking by the park.
The park is incredible in all seasons. One of the best that I have seen in the country, in fact. The lushness of the canopy is one that I have only seen in the jungles of Africa. It’s kind of odd to have that in a city park. During the winter, however, the trees seem to open up to the sky and welcome the comforting feeling of the snow falling not unlike a child would welcome the seasons first snow fall with the making of snowmen and angels. The snow is not falling and hadn’t been for about a week, but the trees are open as if waiting for the clouds to let go of their booty.
**************
The call to Paul, however inevitable, was a hard one.
Paul picked up on the first ring and said, “Aaron, I had hoped that you would call. How much do you know already?”
“I know enough for now. Do you really think there is a chance that we will find Danny? Could Danny still be alive…somewhere?” I said.
“I believe it. I have seen Dr. Avalon’s work and it is remarkable to say the least.” He said. After a pause, he stated, “Aaron, even if we don’t find him alive, at least we will have found him and we can put this whole thing behind us.”
I nodded, “I don’t want to talk about this on the phone. Can you meet me? I am in the park by the old settler fountain.”
Paul said, “You bet. I will be there in ten.” With that he hung up.
Ten minutes passed by fast. I was sitting on the park bench watching the tress blow in the breeze when Paul walks up and sits next to me.
Before he could say a word, I said, “Okay…I am in. Do you have a team put together yet? Do we have a plan?”
“Not quite yet. I wanted to get you first. Besides, this is your baby. You are the one making the decisions so it will be you choosing the team members.”
“Yeah, but it’s you with all the contacts and I know you too well to even think that you haven’t already created a list of possible candidates.”
He laughed, “You do know me well, Aaron. We can go over the list I have in the morning. You get some sleep and let’s meet at our old planning spot.”
“Sounds like a plan.” I said and stood up and walked down the path leading to the exit of the park. I turned and yelled out to Paul, “You really think we can find him after all this time?”
To answer, Paul just shrugged his massive shoulders and walked towards the opposite direction.

**************
My next call was to the good doctor himself. I explained to him that I accepted the offer and that we could talk more about it soon. I told him that I am getting together with Paul to talk over the details of the team and that I would get back in touch with him once we have a team and a plan to work with.
He thanked me and hung up.
I finished the three mile trek to my apartment in just under forty-five minutes. Once inside, I fixed myself a cup of coffee. I knew it was going to be a long night. The chance of me getting any sleep was low.
I called Sally at her home and explained that I had some business that came up out of country that is very important but shouldn’t be gone very long. I asked Sally to call all of my appointments for the next week and reschedule with them.
After that call was finished, I settled into my favorite chair and closed my eyes. This is my favorite pre-planning activity. I seem to be able to think better here. Maybe it’s all in my head. I chuckled and began putting a list of my own together in case any of Paul’s candidates doesn’t work or refuses. I came up with a list of five. I worked with them all before on one mission or another and I trust them all.
After my list was complete, I closed my eyes again and my mind went back to that fateful day in Kosovo when Danny was lost.

Chapter 2
Disappear?

Kosovo is definitely a place that you don’t want to be in the winter. The mountainous terrain is treacherous enough during the summer, but in the winter, the terrain can be as treacherous as a tight rope venture across the Grand Canyon. The land in the higher altitudes are covered in snow for most of the winter.
We were making our way up a particularly steep mountain to set up an observation position. The purpose of this little jaunt is to not only monitor traffic but to also try out the latest in surveillance technology. For the record, they are there to get a handle on the drug trafficking that occurs in the wilds of the area. This has been a particularly rough job of the neighboring countries and Kosovo’s security agencies. You can’t fight what you can’t see. The traffickers are suspected to be taking the routes through the valleys in between the larger hills and mountains and cutting through woods to avoid police spotlighting. They make their way through the countryside to smuggle the drugs into neighboring Serbia and Montenegro where the drugs are then dispersed as in any other countries in the world. Kosovo is a valuable thoroughfare for drug traffickers due to its rugged terrain and the absence of a strong governmental agency to stop the illegal activity that goes on. The United States have been aware of the growing need for something to be done about this, so they set into play a recon element to over watch, not stop, the trafficking to get a better idea as to how it can be stopped and to find out the roots and the origin of where these drugs are from.
Of course this is not a normal mission for the elite special operations unit, but the days of late have been slow and, quite honestly, we were bored.
It is now midday and the sun is finally starting to show through the snow clouds, as if that is going to do any good. “It’s about time!” I remember saying to no one in particular. Danny, my best friend and confidant in the daily trials of being a member of this particular team, turns around and with a confused look on his face, says, “What’s that buddy? Did you say something?”
“No…just talking to myself. Hey, how much farther do you think it is to the top?” I asked while looking at the top of the mountain and at the remains of a thousand year old castle that rests there overlooking the valleys in all directions for about five miles.
“I would say only a couple hundred more. Not too far. What’s wrong…you getting old?” Danny asks with a laugh and a slam against my shoulder.
I answered Danny’s wit with a grunt. I hate being called old and Danny, knowing this fact, makes it a point to point it out as often as possible. I am not that old. Hell, I’m only twenty-eight. Late twenty’s, but still in the twenty’s. Danny on the other hand is the old man. He is the ripe old age of thirty-five. Some say that he is getting too old to do the work that they do, but anybody that knows or has worked with him, knows that he is one of the best, if not THE best, at what we do.
Twenty minutes later, we all make it to the top to the comfortable and windy castle ruins that is going to be their new home for at least the next five days. I stop and looked around and see everything I need to accomplish the mission. Directly to the east of the semi flat top is a concave dugout only about two feet deep and about six feet in diameter. A perfect spot for one of the Long Range Surveillance or LRS 015 long distance night and day scopes. This scope is state of the art. It can see clearly up to a distance of about ten miles and can magnify at night at a distance of about five miles. This scope is quite perfect for this type of surveillance. It also has a night vision and infrared feature to it that is, in Danny’s words, “the bomb”. About a hundred meters north east of that dugout is another of similar dimensions.
“Alright ladies, listen up.” I hear after a minute of taking in my surroundings. “We have about thirty minutes to get set up and report in. Aaron, you set up the first two scopes and Danny, you set up the other two. I want a complete three hundred and sixty degree field of vision from those scopes. Interlock the fields of visions so that we can make double sure that we cover the whole area. The rest of you, take up security positions in between the scope sites and watch the avenues of approach for any unwelcome visitors from nosing in on our operation. Keep in mind your rules of engagement. There are people that live in this god awful country and I would really hate to do the paperwork if one of you kills a civilian.”
With a collective chuckle in their voices, the area becomes active with men on a mission. The whole team move in unison and start on their tasks as instructed by the team commander.
The voice I heard and immediately obeyed is none other than Lt. Paul ‘Sarge’ Safford, also known as ‘the grump’. He is the group commander. He has been known throughout all the teams in Special Operations Forward Command throughout the world as the toughest, most reliable leader since World War II. Sarge’s strict attention to detail and his command philosophy brought him the respect and admiration of all his soldiers under him throughout his years in the military. In his younger years when he was first starting out his career in the army, he was a demolition specialist in Fort Leonardwood, Missouri. At that time he was a junior enlisted soldier, but even then his attention to detail and his sheer drive to know everything about his job, set him high on the list for promotions and admiration from his command. It was then that he set out to ‘make’ his career. He wanted to do more. He wanted to command his own troops. He wanted to have a purpose and a meaning in life. And above all, he wanted to be able to have a life worthy of stories to be told to his grandchildren. He doesn’t have any children yet, nor does he have a wife, but he hopes that one day he will have the family he wants.
His stubbornness and dedication, of course, would not let his feelings or dreams of a family interrupt his mission and what he had to do to accomplish the mission. He would rather die than let his soldiers…his men…his brothers…know that he was anything other than their strong leader.
Sarge stepped back and let his men work. He overlooked the operation from the far eastern side of the mountain where he could help with the security.
Danny, finishing up the last of the LRS 015’s, calls over to Sarge using his intercommunication device around his neck, “Hey Sarge, I rapped up the last of the LRS’s and found something quite odd on the ground. Seems to be some kind of necklace or pendant or something. Definitely doesn’t belong here. I think you might want to take a look at this.”
“Be right there. Stay put and don’t touch it.” Sarge radioed back with a sudden bad feeling in his gut that he couldn’t quite explain. Sarge has always trusted his gut before and they have usually always brought him relatively safely out of any mix, but that only works when he can understand what his gut was trying to tell him. This time it’s different. It’s darker than any time before.
I heard the transmission over my own com-device, decided to tag along since I was also finished up with my task of placing the scopes. I got up from my position and made my way through the rubble to the Southern tip of the castle ruins and found Sarge making his way from the East.
Just as they were rounding the last corner to where Danny was, we both saw him holding an object in his hand. Dreading the worst and hoping for the best at the same time, we both picked up our pace.
Once Sarge got close enough to speak without use of the com-device, he said, “Damn it, I told you not to touch it!”
“It’s cool Sarge, I checked it for booby traps. I also checked the area out before placing the scope, so I know it’s safe.” Danny said while pointing at the scope.
“So what is it?” I asked.
“Not sure…Some sort of necklace or something, but I can’t date it here. I can’t tell if some kids dropped it up here while having a little private time or if it actually came from the time of the castles’ better days. It doesn’t look like it could have been here that long due to the condition it’s in.”
“Let me see it.” Sarge said, holding out his hand.
He turned it around so that it faced Sarge and all of a sudden Danny vanished. Poof! Just like you see in the movies, but they both new that this was not a movie and people don’t just disappear. Do they?
We both looked at each other and looked at the amulet that fell to the ground. Sarge called Danny using his com.
“Danny? Do you copy? Can you hear me?” Sarge said sounding more unnerved than I have ever heard before. Nothing.
I bent down and picked up the amulet and that’s when we heard Danny’s response come in however faint and displaced.
“Sarge? Aaron? Where you guys go? I don’t know if you can hear me, but you should see this place. I can’t get coordinates on it due to a malfunction with the GPS, but I can tell you it is quite amazing. It’s beautiful and…” Danny said but the com cut off. I dropped the amulet as soon as I heard Danny’s voice over the com.
“Danny, do you copy? You’re coming in broken. We will find you. Stay where you are. We WILL find you.” Sarge yelled into his com but immediately doubted that Danny heard anything he said.
“Sarge, everything okay?” another soldier asked through the com.
“Stand by!” Sarge yelled back, “Do we have coms with base camp yet?”
“You bet we do!” another soldier called back.
“Base, this is Loner, do you copy?” Sarge said into his com.
“Go ahead, Loner.” A flat tone came over.
Sarge couldn’t tell who was on the other side.
“Do you have a location on sierra 5?”
After a second, the flat tone came back and said, “Negative Loner, there are only five signals at your location.”
The group was silent. Everyone could hear what just happened. Sarge looked around and saw the wonder and confusion in everyone’s eyes. For once in his life, Sarge had no idea what to do next. Even through Special Operations training and Officer Candidate School he seemed to just know what to do next. This isn’t the case now. He had no clue. One of his soldiers disappeared. Without any warning and without any explanation as to what happened.

Chapter 3
The First Meeting

I woke up startled still in my favorite chair. This isn’t the first time I fell asleep while sitting here. Probably won’t be the last either. I glanced at the blinking clock on the disk player on my TV and grunted. One day I might just have to figure out how to set the damn thing. That will probably never happen. I kind of like being lied to when I first wake up in the morning. It makes it easier I think.
I got up and stumbled to the kitchen that was attached to the living room. The kitchen was more of a kitchenette really. It just had a small one tub sink, a two burner stove and a fridge. Nothing to write home about, but it serviced me quite well. The coffee pot had a clock on that a girl friend actually set for me. Yeah, I couldn’t figure it out either. The clock said that it was half-passed two in the morning.
I decided a run was called for since I was still feeling anxious about today’s meeting and planning session. I quickly changed into my running gear and set out the door.
The downstairs of my building is like any other in the country. Probably the world. A well-armed security guard and an alarm system that makes The Vatican jealous guard the front doors. Well, it is a lot anyway. I waved at the guard and went out the front door.
Outside, the cold air, revitalizing as it was, hit me like a freight train.
I ran and ran without a destination in mind. Normally when I run I have a destination in mind, maybe the corner of fifth and vine and then back. A cool five miles just to get the old heart pumping. Right now I just wanted to run. I just wanted to think. It helped.
I ran all the way to my office without realizing it.
As I was getting closer to the building, I caught a glimpse of something dipping back into the deep darkness of the alleyway between my building and the café next door.
It was nothing that startled me. There was no reason to be startled. I didn’t catch much of a glimpse of anything.
I slowed to a trot close to the alleyway and peered in and as I suspected, I couldn’t see anything but blackness.
As I ran past, I decided to take a break and go into the café for a quick cup of coffee. I walked in and waved my normal hellos at Betty who was behind the bar wiping the counter top off with a rag.
Betty is a woman that was destined to serve people in a diner. She has the bedside manner of the most valuable nurse in a hospital and the looks of an angel, despite her age. She is fifty-something. I never really knew her age, but if I had to guess, without her around, mind you, I would have guessed in her fifties. Maybe I am wrong. Who knows? I am definitely not going to ask her. One thing I learned long ago, you never ask a woman her age especially if she is serving your food.
I sat myself near a window that I could see anyone coming out of the alleyway. Of course not expecting to see anyone coming out, I still had paranoia drilled into my head from day one in the army. The army has always taught me that if a first glimpse of a situation sends chills down my spine then it’s usually correct and you need to be wary.
Betty makes her way skillfully around a few tables towards the booth that I am in and asks, “Whatcha havin sweetie?” Her southern draw thick today. I think she does this on purpose because she knows I have a thing for southern women.
“Just a cup of your special wake me up, gorgeous.” I said with a wink.
“You bet. Comin’ right up.” She said with a smile on her lips and in her eyes.
I sat there staring out the window when the familiar ding of the bell on the front door sounded. I turned and saw a figure covered with a cape with a hood affixed to the back of it. The hood was covering the head. There were snow flakes lightly sprinkled over the shoulders and head of the figure.
The figure stopped at the entranceway and stomped his feet on the welcome rug that serviced both comers and goers of the quaint café. With a swift move, the figure lowered the hood from his head and he shrugged out of his cape and hung it on the coat rack that I only now realized was there.
Betty, back at the counter, smiled wearily and said, “Hi there. Is the snow getting bad out there?”
The stranger just shook his head and sat down at one of the barstools that lined the counter. He said in a low voice, “Just coffee, ma’am. I’m not staying long. Just passing through.”
Betty said, “Sure sweetie. You sit there and warm up and I will have your coffee right out to you”
Betty, darling, you are something else.
I sat there for what had to be a full minute staring at the stranger until he turned his head slowly and looked at me.
I smiled and looked down at my coffee cup, suddenly embarrassed at the way I was acting.
Betty came out of the two-way doors that served as an entrance and an exit to the kitchen area with a bagel on a saucer and a little tub of cream cheese and sat it down next to the coffee cups by the industrial sized coffee pot. She poured the strangers coffee and set it all in front of the stranger.
He looked up from his hands that he has been staring at since he ordered the coffee and stated, “I only ordered the coffee ma’am.”
“I know, doll, but you looked like you could use a little something in your stomach.” She drawled.
He just looked at her and nodded thanks.
I couldn’t figure out what it was about this stranger that got my ‘spidey sense kickin’ into high gear. I mean, there is nothing in his demeanor that screamed homicidal maniac. Nor did his demeanor portray businessman on leave from his wife either, but all the same, the hairs on the back of my neck was standing at attention.
While reflecting on this, I didn’t seem to notice the stranger getting up from his stool and leaving but when I glanced back in his direction he was gone and the door was swinging shut in his wake.
I got up and headed towards the door. With a wave to Betty, I moved through the door with more purpose than I had when I came through the door earlier.
I spotted the stranger moving down the sidewalk back the way I had come so I followed.
After a few minutes of following his movements down the street, he stopped and turned around to face me.
At that point, my life changed. No, of course, I didn’t die. That would be the end to a really bad story wouldn’t it. But change is what it did.
All my life I had been trained to deal with the vilest of creatures on this planet. Until now, all those creatures were human. This couldn’t be human. What I saw was definitely not human.
The stranger had this gleam in his eye that seemed to shine right back out at me. His lips were curled back over his teeth baring a mouthful of hideously sharp teeth. His face cringed into a look of what had to be pain. He opened his mouth as if to say something to me but the only thing that came out was this wet, gurgling sound that almost brought pity to mind.
All I could do was stare. The creature seemed to read my thoughts. I felt this pressure from his eyes that seemed to see straight through my eyes into my soul.
He whipped his arms out and his dirty trench coat flew off his shoulders and wings unfolded out his back. Then he was gone into the early morning sky like a rocket.
I just stood there staring up into space watching, half expecting the creature to fly straight back down on top of me landing a killing blow in an instant. No such blow came, nor did I see the creature flying around the night sky.
I dropped my eyes after a few minutes and saw a small box. Looked as if fate has allowed someone to do a most unfortunate thing and drop an anniversary gift for his wife while on his way to deliver the morsel.
The box was tattered and frail but was intact. I hesitantly bent down and recovered the fallen object. It was light but was not empty. First feel could tell you that. It weighed about as much as a diamond ring in a box would weigh.
I also picked up the tattered trench coat. Paul will need it to envision what I have seen. Of course the trench coat alone will not allow Paul to get the full grasp of the creature but at least it is something tangible that we can see. It also served as an anchor in a way as to prove that I was not going as crazy as I would have thought of someone else had the roles in this bazaar story been reversed. I mean, a crazy person doesn’t bring home tattered relics of his or her craziness to prove to their friends that they aren’t crazy.
While having decided to wait to determine the contents of the box until I got home, I moved out quickly and returned home.

Chapter 4

In my kitchen, I tossed the box on the table not sure, if I should open it or not. I just stood there stared at it. I’m not sure what I had expected to be in the box. It’s big enough to have an ear in it or some other appendage that I don’t want to see without a body attached. Lord knows I have seen enough of that in my day.
Taking one final glance at the box, I decided that I was being stupid and childish. Why would someone…or more to the point, something…leave me a box with or without an amputated ear in it? It had to be madness to even think that way. Those kinds of things happen in the movies.
I plopped into the chair and took the box into my hand. My mind made up, I tore the lid from the box, half imagining seeing an ear or a finger but seeing…a golden metal object. I immediately recognized it and threw the box and its contents across the room.
It was the amulet that Danny had found years ago in that far away country. It had to be. I didn't get the chance to see it in person years ago on that weathered mountain top in Kosovo, but it was exactly like Danny had described it and it had to hold the answer to where he and Mr. Van Wilkes was, hadn’t it?
Paul was my next stop. I had to show him this. I had to tell him what happened in that alleyway and the creature that left it for me. Why did that creature leave it for me? Why me? That question was one of the easier ones to answer. If the creature did come from the place that Danny and Van Wilkes has ended up, then it makes logical sense to throw me into the mix. And if it did come from that place, then was it working with them or against them? Was he trying to draw me to that place or help Danny and our new friend get out of there?
These were just a few of the many questions that hopefully Paul will have an insight in to. Or at least be able to assist with the information gathering with this new tidbit to take into account.
“Paul, it’s Aaron. I need to see you. I found something that you need to see.” I said into the receiver after calling Paul at home, not completely comprehending that it was still quite early in the morning. “Sorry it’s so early…late…You won’t believe me if you don’t see it for yourself.”
Without any hesitation, Paul said he was on his way and would be here in twenty minutes.
I said without thinking, “Paul, take the long way around. Stay away from the park. You will understand after you get here.”
The wait was excruciating. I paced back and forth looking at the box that held the amulet. I placed the lid back on the box, not sure if I was expecting the thing to levitate out of the box and take me where it took Danny, or if I was just satisfying that annoying voice in my head to get away from the damn thing. Either way, I guess it doesn’t hurt to play things on the safe side.
A knock on the door sounded and Paul called out through the door, “It’s me.”
I opened it a second later and ushered him in. “You are not going to believe this.”
I went through the story of how I came into possession of the amulet and the weird creature that dropped it.
Paul just sat there at my kitchenette dinner table and stared at me.
“Well…say something, old man. I hate it the way you just stare.”
“I just wanted to make sure you were done. Where is it?”
“It’s in the box.” I said motioning to the little jewelry box on the table in front of him.
“Did you touch it?”
“No…I just opened the box and saw what it was. I never saw the thing that Danny found out there on the mountain top so long ago, but I never forgot the description that he gave us through the com-sets.”
Paul just looked at me with those eyes.
“Okay…I just have a feeling alright!” I said exasperated.
“And your feelings are right most of the time.” Paul said with a shake of his head. “So let’s see it.”
I moved back to the table and cautiously opened the box. I don’t know what I was expecting to happen. Maybe I thought I was going to disappear like Danny did. Or maybe turn into a creature like I saw in the alley. Foolish…I know but strange things are going on and there seems to be no explanation.
Paul just stood there looking at the object on the table still in the box, “I think we should get this thing to Avalon and have him check it out. Then we can verify that it is or isn’t the amulet that Danny found and then...”
Paul looked up from the box and looked at Aaron, “And?”
“I don’t know, maybe we can just rub the damn thing like Danny was doing and we can disappear too!” I said, louder than I meant too.
Paul just looked at me like he always did when I started acting like this, with his head cocked to one side and his lips pouty.
All I could do was smile, “Okay, you got me. What do you think we should do? Is going to Avalon a bad idea or something?”
“No. I just don’t think we should do it right now. You remember when a long time ago we would have informers that we would work with? We would use these informers and take their information and use them to do certain deeds for us.”
“Yeah”
“Well, we would use the information after we check it out but we would never trust the informant like we trusted each other. I think we might be better off keeping Avalon at a distance for right now. At least until we get a chance to think about this and get this thing checked out.”
“You might be right Paul, but a little flaw in your theories. In the past, we have been able to check on the info from our informants. At least the plausibility of it, but this…I can’t think of anyone that may be able to help us out on this.”
Paul just nodded his, I have this under control nod and left by the front door.
Thanks Paul!

Chapter 5
The Plan

A middle-aged black guy leaving a middle-aged white guys’ apartment before five in the morning would have certainly risen a bit of suspicion from many of my nosy neighbors, but I guess someone up above was watching over me or at least watching over my image this early morning, because there was no one in the hall.
Paul left by the stair case that I am sure he came by. He learned the same techniques as I had learned many years ago that you do not want to find yourself in a place without having at least one exit. It is always best to have at least three but that is not always feasible in the areas that we found ourselves in the majority of the time. An elevator would be one such place that you wouldn’t have many exits. When the doors are shut, that left only one or sometimes two exits. The one out the top is a lot more appealing than the lower one. Most elevators have an access panel through the floor of the compartment, but most of the time there is a considerable distance between the elevator box car and the bottom of the shaft.
The door to the stair well closed just as a bell sounded signifying that a carriage arrived in the elevator shaft. I froze. Who would be coming home at this hour? Who would have a visitor at this hour?
I closed my door to a crack so that I could see through it to the elevator doors and watch. The doors opened and another chime sounded but no one exited. I silently chastised myself for being so foolish and closed my door.
An hour later Paul returned with a surprise.
I let him in and he wasted no time, “Okay, I spoke with my expert and she is going to meet us at eight in her office.”
“She?”
“Now is not the time to go sexist on me, Aaron. She is the top in her field and knows everything about this amulet, or necklace, or whatever this damn thing is.”
“I didn’t mean to sound sexist. I was just surprised that you had any conversations with someone from the opposite sex.”
Paul answered that comment with a well deserved slug to my shoulder and a look that could stop a charging elephant on a dime. I just laughed. Paul has never been the kind of guy to fall all over the women. Not that he didn’t have the opportunity more times than not. Women seemed to fall all over him throughout the years but he didn’t seem to notice.
“As I was saying, we will be meeting her at her office at eight this morning. I gave her a brief description of the thing and she is pretty sure she can tell us what era it comes from if not where the damn thing comes from.”
“Good, I know I have a lot of questions that I need answered.”
“Aaron, I don’t think it will be a good idea to give her all of our information right away. I trust her, but I don’t trust her. She may not be so receiving after hearing the news about the creature you met in the alley.”
“You are probably right. I know I would have a hell of a time believing this if I hadn’t been the one to see it with my own two eyes.”

“Barbara! When I saw you in the paper…again after that first attack…I…just knew that you were dead. I mean…”
“I thought I was dead too. The last thing I heard was a growling and then there was darkness.” She said finally breaking down. She was so strong but no one could go through what she has gone through. The first creature should have killed her. WOULD have killed her had the train not come.
I closed my arms around her and she just cried into my collar. All I could say was “I know.” I did know. I have seen these creatures a couple times now and nearly died with the meeting of one of them.
“You can’t go after them. I understand what Danny must have meant to you and Paul…what Paul sacrificed for us, but you can’t go after them. There are too many of them, they are too strong.”
“I have to, B. You know I have to. Danny and Paul meant the world to me. I can’t let that asshole get away with this. Avalon must pay for what he has done.”
“But why you?”
“Come on B, you know the answer to that better than anyone.” I sighed and held her tighter. “You know how much I love you? How much I still have loved you after all these years?”
“No…but I bet you are going to tell me.” She said smiling.
“I love you this much.” I said hold my forefinger and thumb about an inch apart.
“Well you better love me more than that if you expect me to be here when you get back.” She said that with a smile on the outside but her eyes gave her away.
“I will be back for you. You know I wouldn’t lie to you.”
She nodded and let go of my hands, “I do trust you…but…”
“I know, sweetness.” I said while snuggling her gently into my arms, “I know.”

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