Realistic or Modern CASE FILE: COLD HEART

[Avari]

CAST
Avari - Kaysen
koala - Omar
Pilgrim59 - Serafina
IG42 - Mileena
doneanddusted - James

LINKS
CHARACTER SHEETS
NPCS

---

PROLOGUE

​

The day he was murdered was the very best day of Adrian’s life.
They had agreed to meet on the cliffs, between the wood and the Watchers - the stone circle that overlooked the bay. It was bitterly cold and his feet crunched into the frosted snow.
The full moon reflected off the white ground, casting double shadows eerily across the icy landscape. Behind him, the path back to the village. Ahead of him, the icy stones glinted and shone as if studded with stars.
And beside him, holding his hand, was Tasha. He hardly dared to close his eyes in case the dream faded. It had to be a dream, didn’t it? The two of them, alone. Together. At last.
He looked at her. He couldn’t stop himself. Lost himself in her beautiful smile. Watched her jet black hair blown from her perfect smooth-skinned face. Felt himself falling into the sky-blue eyes. A dream...


Became a nightmare.

Tasha’s eyes widened. A smile twisting into a shout, then a scream.
Darkness wrapped around them both. A sudden glimpse of the shadowy figures shuffling towards them from the wood. Then hands clamped over their mouths - bony, dry hands as if the trees themselves were grabbing them.
The world turned as they were dragged off their feet, twisted, carried shouting for help. Adrian’s hand was snatched from Tasha’s.
The last time he ever saw her, all he saw was her terrified face as she clawed back at him, desperate to make contact again, desperate for help.
A dark, robed figure stepped between then, blotting out his view. A black hood covered the head, face in shadow with the moon behind like a cold halo. The figure turned towards Adrian.
The last thing Adrian Alexeev ever saw was the blackness of another figure looming over him.
The last thing he ever heard was Tasha’s scream. Terror.
Terror, horror and disbelief as she saw what was beneath the hood.

---

​

One of Director Xander’s large hands was wrapped around a cut-glass tumbler. His other hand held the remote control for the wall screen. His face was set in a granite grimace that gave no clue as to how much the alcohol was burning his throat. But when he spoke, it sounded like his voice was being strained through broken glass - hoarse and rough.

“How long ago?”

The men with him did not need to ask what he meant. The energy patten was flashing on the image that covered the entire screen. They had started with a map of the whole of northern Russia. The energy pulse was a pinprick of bright yellow on an ominous red background. Then they zoomed in on the peninsula, then a satellite image of a small village.

Khariton. As if the Soviets leaving them all to die hadn’t been bad enough, now this.

The Organization had state of the art technology. The image was now so clear that you could see the base and the old barracks and military facilities. The submarines were dark slugs edging into the frozen water of the bay. The energy pulse was a ripple of color across the cliff tops.

“It started fifteen minutes ago, Director. There may have been some background energy before that, but within tolerance. Nothing to worry about.”

“It’s not coming from the Nuclear pens,” The Director noted, before a thought struck him. Perhaps this wouldn’t have to warrant Organization involvement.

“Have the missiles been removed?”

“...Most of them. There are still some P-700s on one of the boats.” The aide swallowed. “Perhaps several. Intel is surprisingly bare. We don’t know.”

Xander sighed. “Of course we don’t know. Why should the Organization care if there’s a little radiation leak in the middle of nowhere and sixteen shipwreck class cruise missiles ready to soak it up? You know how many missiles one of those Submarines carries?”

His four aides all exchanged glances. “With...respect, Director...”

“Thirty-six.” The Director said, answering his own question. “And do you know how powerful each of those missiles is?”

“It’s not a radiation leak, Director.”

“The equivalent of half a million tons of TNT. Thirty-six missiles per boat, sixteen boats...”

“They have been decommissioned,” The second aide continued nervously. “The Soviet Union scrapped them back in the eighties. The warheads have been disabled, but the missiles remain in place.”

“It’s not a radiation leak, Director.” The first aide repeated. He was sensible enough to maintain his cool.

“I heard you the first time,” The Director snarled. “But if it isn’t radiation, what is it? Every country with a satellite is going to be able to see this.”

“It...doesn’t match any known energy signatures, Director. It could be Aetherian.”

“Then we need to find out. And we need to inform the Russian and American governments that it’s simply a reactor leak, before they get any bright ideas and assume it’s a launch signature.”

The second aide shifted uncomfortably. “Need we tell the Americans anything, sir? Surely the New York chapter will keep things quiet. The US government doesn’t know about Khariton after all. It was a Class X secret establishment.”

The Director jabbed a finger towards the screen. “If we can see it, so can the whole world. It’s too late to keep this under wraps. I can also guarantee that if the Soviet Union were trying to keep it quiet, The USA have known about it for years. We need to deal with this before they get involved, Abnormal cause or no. Where is Volken Squad?”

“They’re already en route, Director.”

“Good,” Xander replied, swirling his glass. “What about Black Squad? Kaysen?”

“They’re on their way back from...that business in Korea.”

The Director nodded, his expression changing for the first time as the trace of a smile was etched onto it. “Send him in.”

“You...want to see him, Director?”

“No, not here you imbecile.” Again he jabbed at the screen. “Send Black Squad there. Tell them to find out what the hell is going on.”

“They...were expecting to come home, sir.” The first aide swallowed. “I wouldn’t want to be the one to tell them...”

“Then order someone else to tell him,” Xander snapped. “I want Kaysen and Levi to handle it. The Organisation can’t afford to have the Cold War restart, it’s a bloody distraction. They’re the best we have, and they’ll be in no mood to mess about.”

He shifted in his chair, turning to look at the two aides standing nervously beside him. “Any more than I am.”

The third aide suddenly reappeared, brandishing a piece of paper.

“The New York chapter has responded sir, they’ll be doing their best to keep the USA calm, but...”

The Director gulped down the rest of his drink.

“How long until the Americans and Russians kick off about this?”

“New York says they can suppress any response for eighteen hours sir.”

Xander, Director of the Moscow chapter of the Organization stared into the bottom of his empty glass.

“Better get to work then.”

---
​

Less than five minutes later, a cargo plane slowly swung in an arc and started on a new bearing. Two days earlier it had been carrying a full complement of twenty-six Black Squad troops. Now it was bringing six back.

As he slammed down the radio, Jack Kaysen's face was one of fierce determination.

​

 

[Avari]

Notes

It is 15:00.
Black Squad are returning from the successfully completed mission "Red Dawn" - a terrible battle fought against a Vampire cult that was gaining influence in North Korea.
26 Troopers left for the mission, six remain.
You have had a few hours to recuperate from the battle, but Commander Kaysen has already informed you that Black Squad are being redeployed immediately to deal with an emergency situation in Northern Russia, where time is of the essence. The Squad will be arriving in 45 minutes.

James Carter has been field promoted to Specialist.
Serafina Sartinen is now second in command.

koala
Pilgrim59
IG42
doneanddusted
​

 

[Avari]

CARGO CRAFT 8-21A
COCKPIT. ​

Anya Adams had not spoken much since she had picked up Black Squad - or what remained of it - from Korea. It hadn’t been the tired, strung-out looks on their faces, their bruises, the cuts or the torn armor. It hadn’t been that James had been limping painfully, or that Omar had been helping Mileena.

It had been the stone-hard glint in Jack Kaysen’s eyes. Anya had seen it once or twice before, and she knew it was something you didn’t speak in the presence of.

And then, just when she thought the squad could finally earn some reprieve - take some well earned rest and probably a lot of therapy...Moscow had called.

And now she was flying them into another death trap. Every second taking them further from safety - further from home.

Kaysen had been sitting next to her in the co-pilot's chair for a while now. Resting quietly against the headrest with his eyes closed. Usually their commander was the life of the party - cracking jokes and cheerfully telling dirty stories that none of the newer troops believed...at least until they knew better. But he had been silent for an hour now. It really wasn’t a good sign. Anya bit her lip for a moment, having quite the internal struggle on whether she should try to start a conversation, only for Kaysen to save her the trouble.

“How long do you think I can keep people for?” He asked quietly, his eyes still closed. The various lights from the instruments in the cockpit gently glowing on his handsome features. His left wrist and right forearm were bandaged tight, thanks to an injury he had sustained from the Vampire Queen. Anya hadn’t believed it at first - a small part of her truly thought that Kaysen was invincible.

“...Keep people?” Anya repeated at last.

“In the Squad. They’ve taken a beating tonight. Worst I’ve seen in years. And those that have survived...well, all sorts of things whittle down the ranks but... I completely forgot about attrition.”

Anya was silent for a moment, taking the opportunity to correct their bearing slightly.

“No one serves in Black Squad for longer than two years for a reason.”

Kaysen nodded, and slowly opened his eyes. Those bright blue eyes that always felt like they were X-Raying whatever they looked at. “Time was, not long ago, Black Squad would be deployed once a month, or every two, not counting false alarms. Then it was two or three times a month. Now look at us. Look at this week alone. This squad is a meat grinder. We’re losing people faster than they can be replenished...”

“It’s not your fault.” Anya replied honestly. “They all...knew what the job entailed. They died to keep everyone safe.”

Kaysen looked away, instead focusing on the dark, shifting clouds outside. The names and faces of those who had died playing out in his mind one by one, like a slideshow. He hoped it had been worth it.

“We’re going to burn out. People are going to start dying under the pressure. Nervous collapse. Mind-Mulch.”

Anya winced at that, and couldn’t think of a good reply. Instead, her attention was caught by a small flashing red light that had burst into life on the console. She glanced over the readings - and found herself wincing again.

“Oh...sir?”

“Hmm?” Kaysen had shut his eyes again.

“This probably isn’t the best time to mention it, but I don’t believe Khariton has a runway.”

“Super.”

 

[koala]

Omar GanemLocation: Cargo Plane
Mentions: Everyone
Interactions: IG42​

A few hours ago, the Black Squad members had successfully completed their mission--though only a handful of the members actually remained. Beaten and battered, it was evident that everyone was ready for a good night's rest. Instead of taking a break upon entering their ticket home, however, Omar had taken the liberty of treating everyone before even thinking of giving himself the same attention. He'd started with Kaysen due to the extent of their Commander's injuries. Some disinfecting and bandages were enough to tame the bleeding, but he'd warned Kaysen that the pain and possible stiffness would start to bother him once the adrenaline wore out. "Let's hope you don't die before we make it to the clinic," the Arabic man had joked before moving on to his next patient.

Serafina was next and Omar was noticeably gentler with her. He didn't say much as he tended to her minor scratches and the contusion on her head. A few playful remarks would leave his mouth here and there, but he wasn't his normal, viciously flirtatious self. Even when his hand had brushed against her's on accident, he didn't make a jab at being physically affectionate. It was mostly an unspoken conversation on his part as he showed his care through his actions. "Hey, Beaut. When will you take my offer on letting me take care of you?" He'd asked as he packed his things to move onto the next person, referencing his many attempts at trying to get the younger to leave Black Squad. "I'm getting tired of seeing you on the front lines."

James was the next person on Omar's list. The poor guy had a bite mark on his neck that was annoyingly itchy. The best Omar could really do was clean it and inject a tony amount of morphine to numb the area. The medic informed his comrade that once the morphine ran out, the itching will have subsided. Even if he did feel something, it'd only be a minor discomfort and nothing more. Besides that, it looked like the bruising on the Specialist's leg would have been enough to put a small child on crutches. Painful, but nothing a few days of down time couldn't fix.

Last was Mileena, but she was as pristine as Omar was. Of course, she was as sleep depraved too. He'd told her to get some sleep after a flirty remark that ought to have earned him a punch in the gut. "You better sleep now before you're as cold as Sleeping Beauty and need a prince to kiss ya." Omar snickered before he felt the plane suddenly turn.

His body was nearly thrown against the plane wall as he lost his footing. Thankfully, he was able to reach a handle bar in time but it still wasn't enough to keep him in a perfect standing position. Once the flying beast returned to being on a steady course, multiple questions kept pinging in Omar's head. He'd wanted to know what the hell that was and where they were going. Were they getting attacked? Were they making a quick detour? His questions were answered once Kaysen informed them of their next mission, which was in a few hours. Was Omar pissed?

Yeah.

- PRESENT -

The last few hours had been spent trying to sleep until he could no longer try. With being crunched for time, Omar spent the their remaining peace making sure everyone was in top shape. There was barely anything in the cargo ship though, so he only could stretch out his medical supplies the best he could. With some empty syringes, morphine, sugar tablets, and a useless amount of distilled water he'd discovered in a beaten up container, he diluted the morphine and sugar with the water. While the morphine wouldn't be as strong and would last half as long, it was better than nothing and he knew some of his comrades would need it. The sugar water syringes were an added bonus, considering the bunch of them looked like they could pass out any second. That left him with two of each, but hopefully he wouldn't have to actually use them.

Stuffing his empty vest pockets with the syringes and a roll of bandage, he made his way over to his assault rifle. It'd lost some of its functionality in Korea, so he'd left it by Mileena in hopes she could do something about it. "Any good news?" Omar asked, taking a seat against the wall.

 

[Pilgrim59]

Serafina Sartinen
XO, Black Squad, The Organization
C-130 #8-21A, Russian Airspace
November 14th, 1994

Interacted: James ( doneanddusted )
Mentioned: Omar ( koala ), Anya/Kaysen ( Avari ), Mileena ( IG42 )
​

Operation Log #1
Written with: doneanddusted​

A series of metallic jingle clattered among each other, as Serafina dragged herself aboard their aerial transport, with a few bloody dog tags in tow. Casting them inside a leather pouch, the Finn sought to conceal it from the weary eyes among her, as well as for herself. She needed to be spared of the deathly sight of numerous name tags. Having reported to the commander of their sustained casualties, Serafina turned away without further words.

Worn and torn from their last mission, the Finnish operator dragged her duffel bag across the cargo plane's fuselage, before settling in her seat. No words were uttered among the physically-spent Black members, of whom were keen on tending to the scars of their recent encounters. The perpetual humming of the C-130's interior space, and the whirling engines would accompany the Black Squad's hard-earned respite, albeit at a great cost. Where the cargo plane had housed a platoon's worth of the Organization's best, now accommodated exactly six, including the pilot herself. Such was the fate of those that trod the path of endless conflict. There were no glories nor self-endowed patriotism, only those that remained to see another day would keep to themselves the horrors that they have faced. But like many of those before them throughout history, the Organization's elite were immune to such factors, distinguishing themselves by sheer will and seasoned conditions to carry out the day. Despite their demanding training, the Black Members were still susceptible to pain and fatigue - the only things that separated them from abnormal beasts.

As the evening light refracted from the fuselage's portholes, Serafina leaned back in her seat, like the others before her. Being crammed into an aircraft for egress, just shortly after their mission was more or less a tiring one - even if the Finn was trained for it.

Omar's approach prompted the restless Serafina to be relieved of the eerie silence that plagued the humming aircraft in flight. Before long, the oblivious operator had noticed her bandages coming loose and soaked with blood. Like many times before, the medic's voice helped to distract her from the stinging sensation of her sustained injuries. It was a miracle that her head was not completely smashed in by a vampire. Some would call it luck, but for Serafina, she simply stepped to her left.

"Hey, Beaut. When will you take my offer on letting me take care of you?"

"Not a chance, handsome. Although I would concede to sharing a few drinks with you, doc. Spare me of the usual wining and dining, if you will." she grinned, with a slight recoil at Omar's hand upon her wounds.

"This was supposed to be my last op. But it's not like we have much of a choice, do we? The brass call and we haul." Serafina continued, eyeballing Omar with a grim, but earnest look in her eyes, before the latter departed to check on James.

Looking over to her shoulder, Serafina took note of her shield that was mostly kept in shape, yet laden with a claw mark that stretched down the center frame - a parting gift of their bloodthirsty oppositions. Where others had taken respite, Serafina could not bear the thought of closing her eyes for even a minute - a byproduct of those that have seen combat. It was a big grievance to get a quick shut-eye, when everything else around them could spiral down into chaos. A superstitious belief, but with certain truths behind it - one that have kept Serafina alive for as long as she could remember. The girl would abide by what time they had left until the squad reached their new destination, as she tended to her weapons. Removing the upper receiver, Serafina cleared her rifle of residual grains. It was surprising that it had not been out of commission, despite her massive expenditure of ammunition and consistent bursts of suppression. Vampires were something else, aside from most abnormal beings that she had encountered before Korea. Tapping into her magazine reserves, Serafina let out a sigh, pondering upon the thoughts of the Organization sending the squad to certain doom without resupplies. Perhaps it was faith in the Black Squad or pure negligence upon their field expertise. Either way, it was far from ideal or acceptable, given their current conditions, to be redeployed.

Next to Serafina sat James Carter, the newly promoted Field Specialist. Occasionally his hand reached up to scratch the bites on his neck, but he stopped himself before he could do so. Before all the vampire shenanigans, James had thought the army had traumatized him enough. He knew better than that now. God, he wanted to go home so fucking badly. He looked ‘round at the others in the plane, knowing well that they must’ve felt the same. While it was fair to say that everyone was numbed to the demanding responses from their job's requirements, they were still human after all. The same, however, could not be said for Commander Kaysen himself. Quick on his feet, and never one to divert from his own conviction, Serafina have questioned the man's overall state of mind at times, but she would digress, keeping such thoughts to herself. Where they were restless, it was up to Kaysen's determination and round-the-clock movements to get them through the thick of it. With that said, the squad needed it now more than ever, having been given their new mission at the behest of the C-130's roundabout steer to the north.

James looked over at Serafina when she sighed and gave her a tired smile.

“Why is Omar so nice to you?” he asked. “He kept fucking jabbing my bruises when he was treating me.”

Serafina’s eyes turned towards James at the notion of Omar’s affectionate ways towards the prior.

“Being an elegant lady has its perks.” Serafina remarked jokingly, with a coy smile upon her face. Given her profession and past with the members of the Black Squad, the word ‘elegant’ was the exact opposite for those that fought alongside her.

“How’s that bite on your neck holdin’ up? You’re not gonna turn are you?” Serafina continued.

“Oh yeah,” James hunched over and made his hands look like claws. “I vant to suck your blood.” he grinned.

“Very funny.” Serafina chuckled lightly, still managed to find her sense of humor, despite their recent bloody ordeal in Korea. It has always been a common tradition for one to find humor, despite facing many adversaries before them. After all, it was the only thing that kept them sane, and then some for those that have seen stranger things that eluded society.

James laughed along for a moment, but then sighed.

“Man, I can’t believe Papa O’s makin’ us go out again,” he leaned back in his seat. “It’s like they’re tryin’ to kill us or somethin’!”

Glancing over at James and then back down at the rifle locked in between her knees, Serafina could not help but give in to her thoughts. Redistributing her ammunition, the Finn made sure to keep her weapon at twenty-two rounds per magazine, with an extra round strapped to her load-bearing vest, should she find herself at risk of being eaten alive or worse - being turned. A mercy bullet.

“I believe that is a part of our job descriptions. Higher-ups gotta have their cannon-fodders, as much as we need our ammunition. Just make sure to save a mercy round for yourself. I’d rather not fight my own.” the Finn said as she fiddled with her thumbs, abiding by their idle time in what she called a gliding metal coffin. Never was she a fan of flying, and never will she be.

Looking out her porthole, the frigid snow and frosting upon the window persuaded her thoughts for a warranted, if not inevitable, HALO(1) jump, should their pilot Anya, fails to locate a place to set the aircraft down. Given the amount of thick forests beneath them, and the coarse turbulence that plagued the Black Squad's pending destination, there was little else Serafina could think of. Perhaps it was wise to let Mileena inspect her AN-94, but given her disposition with Omar at the moment, the Finn would have to make do with what she could. Besides, the two looks like they needed some bonding time, although Serafina was less keen on it being a fruitful one, given their polar-opposite personalities. Only time would tell if Serafina's perception would prove to be true. Deep down inside, she was somewhat intrigued to see them settle their differences. At least with it, there was something to witness rather than lulling to the void of everlasting humming of the plane's engines.

Translation Notes:
1. HALO jump: High Altitude Low Opening is a method of delivering military personnel, equipment, and supplies from a transport aircraft at a high altitude via free-fall parachute insertion.

 

[IG42]

Mileena & Omar

Sitting cross-legged on the floor Mileena glanced up from where Omar’s rifle lay in three pieces then began slotting them back together. “I checked the barrel for obstruction, realigned the sight and fixed the magazine release but the case ejection is still a little sticky. You’ll probably find the occasional spent cartridge getting stuck and have to clear it out.” Throughout the speech her tone remained level as the speaking clock and she didn’t look back up from her work until the weapon was whole again and she held it out to Omar.


The Arabic man was bent with his elbow on his thigh and chin on his palm as Mileena spoke. He’d nodded and grunted every now and then, soaking up the information like a sponge. When she held out the weapon towards him, he broke from his relaxed formation and sat straight up. Taking the battered gun from her hands, he inspected it.


“Shouldn’t be too bad on the field,” Omar began, checking that the safety was on before he sat it on the seat next to him, before finishing with, “hopefully.” He looked at her thoughtfully for a moment, back leaned against the wall and arms crossed. Then a sly grin formed on his face. “So when are we going for a cold one? I’ve drank with everyone on this plane at least once except you.”


Sitting back against the wall Mileena uncrossed her legs and closed her eyes until Omar tried to start chatting, opening her eyes she looked up at him with a touch of irritation in her gaze. “I don’t drink. I prefer to keep my head clear.” Closing her eyes again she pushed away the memory of back when she used to drink other cops under the table and hoped she would somehow manage to doze off before Omar tried again.


All Omar could do was shake his head when he noticed the slight change in the woman’s eyes. The feeling of pressure was something he disliked, so he left the topic at that. Her response was always the same though, and it always made him wonder what kind of operative didn’t drink. The man figured booze was an obvious pass time for many of his peers. Perhaps he was wrong.


“Whatever you say, mate.”


Glad that Omar had the sense not to push further Mileena tried to shift into a more comfortable position but quickly gave up and took to pacing around slowly, while the space alone made it an improvement over flying coach it wasn’t designed for relaxation. Wandering over to the window she looked outside but saw little of interest even though the weather was mercifully clear. “Right on the edge of the world.” She murmured to no one in particular, while the Organisation had trained her extensively to operate in many environments she still preferred urban ops where she could fall back on her SWAT training.


Omar watched Mileena for a second, noting the mild shift in atmosphere. Deciding it was best to leave his comrade alone, he decided to shut his eyes and attempt to clear his head before the mission. It was all for naught though, as the man found it difficult to keep his thoughts from swirling.


“Do you really not drink? Because I always envisioned you as the life of the party. You know… like those college girls in the beach movies, with their bathers and tongs and yelling ‘Woohoo!’” Omar chuckled to himself, as if her were imagining Mileena doing exactly that. “You’d be a sight for sore eyes if that were the case.”


Without turning Mileena rested her fingertips against the tiny window feeling the outside chill seep into her. “There aren’t any beaches in Colorado and I have no interest in partying anym...at all.” Her voice rose over his sniggering and she cursed herself for the slip.


The man laughed heartily before calming down. He found his eyes lingering on Mileena, a somewhat mischievous feeling beginning to form. “Say,” his voice barely above a whisper, “do you at least want to grab that dinner once this is over?”


Losing her composure completely Mileena yanked out her combat knife and shoved Omar against the wall of the cabin with a look of blind fury. “Drop it. Or I swear I will cut your sack open and swap your eyes and your fucking balls around!” She held him there clearly seething.


“Chill out, mate.” Omar said, hands up in defeat and a look of pure seriousness on his face. “You need to learn how to take a joke.”


Glaring for a few seconds more her expression abruptly collapsed into one of distress and lowered the knife then hung her head. “I...I.” Stepping back her head came back up with the same neutral expression as before back in place. “They’d probably be too small to fit and keep rolling out anyway.” She muttered as she put the knife away and walked a few metres down the cabin.


Omar let out a snort at the last remark, his head shaking as he returned to a sitting position. “Yeah, probably. I’d like to think the Commander would be mad too since we’d lose my good eye.” The man joked as he referred to his abnormal one.


After a few minutes Mileena spoke up again. “How serious are the injuries to the others?” She asked pointedly refusing to address what had just happened.


“Not bad, I’d say.” Omar replied as he began wiping his rifle. “Commander Kaysen has some lacerations that might stiffen up his arms later. Sartinen has a mild head contusion, and she didn’t seem to show any concussion symptoms. Carter has a limp but it should go away once the adrenaline starts pumping in our veins again.”


Mileena nodded slightly. “Good.” The others hadn’t looked to messed up to her first-aid trained eye but it helped to have it confirmed by a professional.


Omar leaned back and crossed his arms before looking at the other. “And you? Are you still feeling sleep deprived?”


“It’s fine, nothing that’ll affect my performance.” She said bluntly then went back to gazing out the window at the bleak landscape below.


Deciding it was best to leave the female alone, Omar let out a tired sigh. “Of course.”

 

[Avari]

Post written with koala and Pilgrim59
​

Recovering from her landing, Serafina was glad to have been spared by the ocean's frigid embrace. Her knife ran through the fibers of her parachute lines. With her reserve chute in tow, there was no need to recover her main one. Securing her duffel bag and her rifle, the woman made her way towards Kaysen, of whom had seem to be freed from his landing gear. Omar had landed a little further away, while Mileena and James seemed to have landed in the forest. Frankly, with the strength of the wind it had been a minor miracle they hadn't all landed in the ocean.

Kaysen was striding out across the snow-covered plain, staring at the landscape ahead of them and leaving a trail of footsteps in his wake. They had landed on the top of a cliff, wind blowing round it, sending Serafina's hair into a frenzy and kicking up puffs of snow at her feet. She could hear the crash of the waves below.

Kaysen glanced back, a curious expression on his face. His sharp cheeks already scorched red by the cold.

"It's interesting...don't you think?"

To one side of him was a wood, the trees spiky and bare, dripping with icicles. To the other side of Kaysen, on the horizon, stood a line of stones. Standing stones. They seemed to glitter in the cold sunlight, as if studded with quartz that was catching the light.

Upon catching up to the man, as he eyed the pillars of stone in the distance, Serafina could only oblige with his mysterious words.

"If our past deployments have taught me anything, commander, is that ritualistic grounds bodes omen, sir."

That earned a small chuckle from Kaysen, as she scanned the woods around them, before setting her sights upon the pillars.

"--What exactly does HQ wants us to look for, commander?"

"The source of that crazy energy reading. And then - "

Kaysen's words were drowned out by a sudden roar of sound. The wind was blowing up even more. Snow blasting across the cliff and stinging their eyes.

A huge helicopter, like a giant metal spider, was hanging menacingly in the air, level with the top of the cliff. A door slid open halfway along its side, and a man leaped out - a soldier. Khaki uniform, heavy backpack, combat helmet, assault rifle. And behind him a line of identical figures leaping to the ground, keeping low, spreading out in a circle and running to their positions.

Kaysen wandered slowly back to join Serafina.

Volken Squad Trooper​

"I suppose that's Volken Squad," Kaysen sighed, as Omar approached looking rather guarded.

"Wonderful..." Omar commented while tightening his gear, finger resting on his gun's trigger as he body prepared to enter a defensive stance.

The circle complete, the soldiers leveled their rifles - aiming directly at the three of them. Serafina's duffel bag dropped to the snow with haste, as she raised her rifle and covered Kaysen's back, upon the soldier's encirclement. Omar swiftly followed suit as he stood next to Serafina, aim switching between two of the Volken members warningly. Their commander however, gently nudged each of their guns down, towards the ground with the tip of his finger.

"Easy there. Let's play nice. They might lend us some jumpers."

"As you wish, commander." Serafina complied, as she put her rifle on safety.

"Yes, sir." Replied Omar simply.

The first man out of the helicopter was walking slowly towards the middle of the circle. His own rifle was slung over his shoulder and he moved with confidence and determination. He stopped directly in front of Kaysen.

And just from his eyes, they could tell he was furious.

"Good afternoon." Kaysen said cheerfully.

"Who are you?" the soldier snapped. "What are you doing here, near the village?"

"We're Black Squad. Commander Kaysen. ID is seven-nine-six-two-beta-nine-twelve-seven-tango. Weren't you told to expect us?"

The soldier scowled for a moment, then nodded. The rifles of his comrades lowered one by one - though it seemed rather reluctant.

"Volken Squad. Captain Levi. And we were told to expect reinforcements. Not..."

He glanced behind Kaysen. "-three people."

Captain Levi​

"That's not all of us. Bit of a dodgy landing." Kaysen corrected. "You mentioned a village?"

"If they can call it that."

"What would you call it?" Kaysen asked.

"...Community," Levi suggested. He was a large man - broad and tall, bulked out by his combat uniform and heavy park.

"Institute. Perhaps even Insane asylum."

"Fuck in' 'ell," Omar muttered quietly under his breath.

"Why Asylum?" Kaysen wondered, as if he hadn't heard Omar.

Levi swung around to look at his squad mates, before shrugging. "I'd be surprised if they aren't all mad by now. Almost twenty years abandoned and forgotten out here. Even with the base."

"I don't suppose you could give us a tour of the neighborhood, captain?" Serafina asked. "I would like to assess your community's layout and geography. It would be wise if you would advise us with what you've got."

"It's not my community." Levi replied gruffly. "But we'll share what we've got, obviously. Whole thing is a shambles honestly. No intel at all. Something has spooked HQ bad to throw us out here like this."

"You think you've been yanked out here at short notice, you should see what happened to us."

The man named Levi glanced at Kaysen's team again. Saw the damaged equipment. The bandaged wounds. He sighed and shook his head.

"Bloody shambles, this."

"Couldn't agree more. Anyway, This is Serafina, my number two. The other one is Omar. Our medic."

Levi nodded. "Good. A medic will be useful."

Kaysen clapped his hands together. "So we're all friends now, eh? Just so long as you do what I need you to do, then we won't get in your way. Fair enough?"

Levi turned without a word of acknowledgement and gestured to his men. The rifles snapped up - properly this time - and they turned and started to move slowly and carefully across the cliff top. Some were heading for the stone circle, others towards the wood.

"Since it seems you've been briefed as well as we have," Levi said as he turned back. "Like you, we are here to investigate the energy spike the Organization picked up. It was the equivalent of several nuclear detonations in quick succession, so you'd think this whole area would be a smoking crater. Like you, I would rather not be here. So perhaps we can make this as quick and easy and straightforward as possible. Clear?"

"Absolutely."

"You have Geiger counters?"

"Think we'll need them?" Kaysen wondered.

Levi laughed coldly. "Don't you?"

Levi turned back towards his men, now disappearing over the snowy horizon. Kaysen and Serafina exchanged a look.

"No radiation readings much above background," He said quietly, as they started to follow. "Bit odd, considering the sheer amount of radiation that was thrown out when that energy spiked. Place should be Chernobyl 2.0 right now. I'll get James to check when he turns up."

"Perhaps the readings receded beneath the earth, Commander?"

"Well it had to have gone somewhere."

"Say... what's the history behind those stones?" Serafina continued, pointing towards pillars at the edge of the cliff, before eyeing Levi's marching back.

"Hell if I know. Some prehistoric monument or something. And no, No history of anomalous properties. First thing I checked. Therefore I assume the energy was released from one of the submarines, or from the scientific base." Levi replied without looking back, still marching along.

"Besides, it's for more likely -- "

Levi suddenly gave a snarl of anger and frustration. He had a hand to his ear, reaching under his helmet, where he was wearing a radio earpiece. he turned back a few moments later, addressing Kaysen.

"We may have a problem."

"Define problem," said Omar.

"A body. In the stone circle."

Serafina turned towards Kaysen, then back at the stones.

"An omen. Case and point, commander."

​

 

[Avari]

​

Both Serafina and Omar had started to shiver, despite both doing their very best not to show it. They weren’t wearing clothing suited for the climate after all. Kaysen sent them to pester some of Levi’s men for some extra layers while he went on with Captain Levi.

“Have you seen much death?” Levi asked as they walked across the snowy ground.

“Comes with the territory. Why, worried I can’t handle it?”

“No. But this body is apparently...interesting.”

“Aren’t they all?”

Captain Levi stopped. Kaysen stopped as well, sensing that this was the moment when he needed to win the man over. “...Problem?”

“I resent being here.” Levi said levelly. “I resent you being here. I know about Black Squad. I know what you being here means. Headquarters don’t believe Volken Squad can handle it. I don’t give a fuck what they think. You interfere, you slow me down, and I don’t care what your rank is. I have a job to do and I’m going to do it. So cut the wise cracks. If you’re good at what you do, prove it and we’ll get along fine. If you’re not, then keep out of the way and you might survive with your career intact. Clear?”

“As the driven snow.”

“Good.”

Levi turned and strode off. It took him several paces before he realized Kaysen wasn’t following. Slowly, reluctantly, he turned and walked back.

“I understand your frustration,” Kaysen said softly. “I didn’t ask to come here. But now I’m here, I’ve got a job to do as well - and that job isn’t spying on you, or stopping you from performing your duties. Am I good at what I do? I’m the best. That’s why I do it. The others - they’re the best to - so you don’t give them any hassle, right?” He didn’t wait for a reply. “You want to know if I’ve seen much death? I’ve seen more than you could possibly imagine. So cut the tough-guy bit and prove to me that you’re good at what you do. Clear?”

“...As the driven snow.” Levi said quietly. “Commander.”

Kaysen’s smile returned. He clapped his hand to Levi’s shoulder. Encouraging him forwards. “I told you, It’s just “Kaysen” alright? And hey,” He went on.

“They tell me you’re the best Moscow HQ has to offer. You and your men. So we should get on brilliantly. Let’s do the job and save the world.”

 

[Avari]

With thanks to Pilgrim59 . IG42 and koala

Though the man named Omar seemed a bit dimwitted, Levi was impressed with the man's analysis of the body. It was lying beside one of the standing stones on the far side of the circle - the side closest to the village. Looking down the valley, Levi could see the dilapidated huts and abandoned dockyards lining the inlet. The stumpy black shapes of the submarines in their rusting pens, It was hardly picturesque, but it was preferable to looking at the body. Kaysen had given the body a quick once over himself before sighing sadly and leaving Omar in charge of the examination before vanishing off to greet the rest of his squad who had apparently just arrived.

The man who had found it had been coughing his guts up a few paces away. At least he had the good sense not to disturb the evidence - if it was evidence. Agent Iiya Sergeyev - hero of the Borodinov disaster, a soldier who'd killed several men at close range in the last week with his gun, his knife and even his bare hands - puking up at the sight of a body.

But then Levin had tasted bile and turned away too. The absolute smell of rot was overwhelming.

“Let's see here..." Omar muttered as he bent down to examine the body. His gloved hand reached for one of the arms and he lifted it gently. The arm immediately flopped in his hand and he tried not to show the disgust on his face when it did. Laying it back down, he took the opportunity to look away from the corpse and towards Levi.

"For lack of a better term, the body has been effectively 'jellified.' There's not a single bone left."

Levi grimaced." You mean someone's removed the bones?"

Omar shook his head. "Full body atrophy." He emphasized his point by putting his finger on the collapsed face, the gray skin molding with the pressure. The man's stomach churned.

He reached to pull down the collar of the body's shirt and noted any visible marks. He did the same with the sleeves, torso, and presumed with the pant legs. "There aren't any signs of struggle either."

Omar had tried his best to remain unbothered by the corpse, but the smell finally got to him. Standing on his feet, he placed a finger under his nose for a brief second and regained his composure. After letting out a small cough, he said, "I don't think I could tell the time of death even with the best equipment. The clothes appear to be in good condition even if they don't fit anymore, so J Doe likely died recently. Cause of death, well... I'll say I've never seen anything like this before."

"We'll do a sweep of the area, see if there's anyone else." Levi said, nodding at one of his men. "Then send some men down to the village. Find that Barinska woman and get her up here to see this."

"Barinska?"

"She's a police officer. The only police officer. This is her problem not ours."

"Oh, I think it's everyone's problem Captain." Kaysen said as he walked past , his expression sour. He had returned with two other soldiers that Levi didn’t recognize, who were now inspecting the stones within the circle. Kaysen took a moment to nod at Omar before moving on to join one of them - another girl, by the looks of it.

---

"...interesting composition," Kaysen muttered as he ran his hands over the stone, both he and Mileena had focused their attention on the northernmost stone - for really no reason apart from the fact is was furthest from the corpse. James meanwhile was jumping from one stone to another, using his scanner to check for anything out of the ordinary.

Staring at one of the other stones Mileena tapped the flat of her knife against it listening to the dull sound it made. "Odd is what they are, I don't see any obvious source where this stone could have been quarried from and they're much too smooth for how long they've supposedly been exposed to the elements."

Kaysen nodded in agreement. "They look brand new. As if they're polished. Shiny. No weathering. How long have they been here?"

"They were here fifteen years ago," Levi told them as he walked over, obviously happy to find an excuse to get away from the stench of the corpse that Omar had now covered with a blanket.
"They looked as new and felt as smooth then as they do now."

Crouching down Millena brushed the snow away from the base of the stone trying to find where it had been embedded in ground, but couldn't find anything. They were planted deep. "Something happened back then?" She glanced up at Levi while sticking her free hand under her vest to get the chill out.

"It was one of my first assignments after training. It was when it all ended - or perhaps, maybe where it all began...at least for the souls we left behind."

"Tell us about it." Kaysen said.

"Soviet Union was having trouble. Couldn't afford to maintain all the military spending, and there were two installations here." He pointed across at the squat, squared-ff buildings round the harbour. "The dockyards and the barracks." Then in the other direction, towards a low-lying concrete complex, further up the hill.

"...and the research station."

"They couldn't just tell people not to eat for a few years again to save money?" Mileena asked without the slighest hint of tact.

"Cheaper to remove people entirely" Levi replied darkly.

"... Anything significant being researched?"

"I don't know the specifics. It was all secret, of course. Everything here is - was - a secret. The Submarine base... And the Organic Weapons research institute."

"I'm guessing you don't mean Organic vegetables." Kaysen's nose wrinkled.

"They've kept the research centre open." Levi explained. "They only have few scientists there now. But they get supplies. Funding. From the Russian government. They exist. The only reason the community has survived I guess."

Serafina eyed Kaysen briefly as she walked over, diserning her concurrent thoughts on the matter.

"Organic Weapons Research, huh? I do hope it's just that. Then we all can just leave." she said in English, voiding the ears of her Russian acquaintances. Kaysen didn't reply, but looked thoughtful for a moment.

Despite their well-trained operatives and more-than-sufficient arsenal, the Organization was not particularly one to go after the containment of international weapons development. Unlike what others may perceive them, the Organization were strict in their course of work and traditions - abiding by the containment of abnormal threats, rather than preventing a third world war. Serafina had hoped that it was as the Russian had said, or rather anything to be less of a warranted intervention from the Organization. However, a part of her was quite intrigued by the developing situation that they found themselves in.

While Serafina did not further her pursuit of questions, she had taken a step back and studied the scene. Surely, whoever or whatever caused the scene was not one to be driven by primal natures. Given Mileena's circumspect observations, everything that had seemed to be coincidental by timing was slowly receding back at Serafina's mind. Perhaps the stones were indeed connected to this? Or rather a base of a methodical foe? The Finnish operator would dwell in her silence, as Kaysen's words disrupted her trance.

"Okay that's the base. What about the docks?" Kaysen prompted.

Two tiny figures in khaki were just visible jogging down the snowy hill, reaching the edge of a concrete track leading into the docking area. It was if the snow didn't dare to settle on the old military base.

"They closed it down. Left the Submarines to rot. We were supposed to decommisson them... Rip out whatever was useful and take it away. Same with the village. We took sailors and troops and the higher grade workers. Left the rest. To rot."

Kaysen eyed the man for a moment." So... The military pulled out and left them... Left them what, exactly?"

Levi shrugged. "Just left them. I don't imagine they'll be grateful to see soldiers here again."

In the distance, a cluster of tiny dark shapes - people. Were gathered around the two soldiers at the edge of the docks.

"Commander. Perhaps we should take a closer look at those subs and get a confirmation on the spikes of our Geigers." Serafina said, somewhat determined.

"It's on my to-do list." Kaysen nodded, rewarding her with a smile.

"Any warheads left with the submarines?" Mileena put in. "Nuclear weapon disposal is well outside our directive."

Levi nodded. The girl was obviously quite sharp. "It's expensive to completely shut down Nuclear reactors. We" decommissioned" around 150 subs in total during my time serving. To my knowledge, not a single one has yet had its reactor actually removed."

"So what you're saying is that there's a bunch of old nuclear submarines here each with dodgy reactors."

"Sixteen in total." He smiled thinly. "Of course, they all have their missiles still as well."

--

 

[Avari]

With thanks to the lot of ya.

-----​

"Okay what's the news?" Kaysen asked, as James finally finished the somewhat repetitive task of scanning each of the stones in turn.

"It's just a rock circle," James sighed as he rose to this feet

"Amazing what technology can tell us these days." Kaysen responded dryly.

"Well, the rocks are made of like, granite, limestone, and slate... some other stuff. There's nothing special about this place."

Kaysen looked rather disappointed, but shrugged as he began to walk away "Okay. If that's all you've got."

"I mean if it matters, they're all identical, but I kind of assumed that," James followed. "Maybe the corpse will come up with something."

Kaysen span on his heel. "They're all identical? Like... Completely? Mineral content? Radiation? Size?"

"Yeah-" James paused for a second, frowning momentarily. "Wonderful craftsmanship, isn't it?" he added cheekily.

"Oh yes." Kaysen responded darkly, glancing at the body on the other side of the circle. "Whoever made this really knew what they were doing." He clapped James on the shoulder. "Go help the others finish up, would you?"

"Yes sir," James ran off to meet the others, as a battered looking jeep rolled up towards the Stone Circle.

---


Nadia Barinska
​

Nadia Barinksa was, as Levi had said, the only figure of recognized authority in the community. She was also one of the few with transport - her battered jeep screeched to a protesting halt beside the stones. The door creaked as she pushed it open.

She glared daggers at Levi's men.

She frowned at Kaysen's.

Then she shook her head with resignation as she caught sight of the blanket covering the body.

"You're lucky I have any fuel left." She told Levi after a short and unfriendly introduction. "Don't expect a lift.".

"I'm surprised you have any fuel at all. You get it from the research base?"

Nadia snorted. "Where else? Who else knows we are here?"

Serafina waltzed forth, upon Nadia's question, with the prior's glare studying the woman's eyes.

"Agent Serafina Sartinen. Thank you for your time, Nadia."

The policewoman shrugged. Then what Serafina said seemed to register with her, and her eyes narrowed.

"You speak good Russian, but your accent... Where are you from?"

"More or less what a Finlander can do." Serafina smiled, with a stern look in her eyes.

Nadia rose an eyebrow, and glanced at Levi for an explanation.

"UN task force." He explained quickly. Nadia seemed to be satisfied with that, but shot Serafina another glance.

"This community is not comfortable with governments and armies. I hope you'll be patient with the people here, they have suffered enough."

"I'll keep that in mind." Serafina nodded, which earned her an incredibly thin, brief smile that vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

Despite being wrapped in a thick black coat, her jeans tucked into heavy walking boots, the women was obviously fit and attractive. Her face was weathered and she looked exhausted, but seemed to be somewhere in her thirties. Her blonde hair hung from beneath a winter hat which covered her ears.

Levi however, seemed to be frowning at her, confused.

Nadia seemed to have noticed as well, and glared back.

"What is it, Captain?"

"I'm sorry, I thought I recognized you."

Nadia blinked in surprise. "You have been here before?"

"For the decommissioning."

"Ah. Perhaps you remember my mother - Sophia Barinksa. I inherited her position. This is a closed community. No one comes, no one goes - what choice was there?"

Levi nodded, looking uncomfortable. "... How is she?"

"In the ground." Nadia replied without any apparent emotion or thought on the matter. She nodded at the body. "Show me."

A glimpse was enough. "Adrian Alexeev. He was reported missing last night. His parents believed he had sneaked out to meet a girl called Tasha Palov. She has also... been reported missing."

Five minutes later, two of the soldiers were loading the body into the back of Nadia's vehicle. It was like a cross between a range rover and an estate car. The faded symbol of a police logo adorned upon its hood.

Levi was giving orders to the soldiers and they began to spread out, moving slowly across the cliff top.

"Search party," Kaysen explained as he joined them. "Damsel in distress."

"Damsel probably dead." Levi added.

"Even so... You could do with some help. How many men do you have?"

"Fifteen, plus me."

"Sixteen then." Kaysen said. "Plus us that's twenty-two."

Levi nodded and gestured over to Omar. "You finished with the body?"

Omar had been with the two soldiers that had taken the body. The man was speedily taking notes in the small notepad he carried, recording anything abnormal--which was everything. When he was done, he placed he small pad in one of his vest's pockets.

Turning to Levi, Omar gave a small salute with two of his fingers. "Yes, sir. Research may find this information beneficial in the future."

"Good. Then go with Oleg and his group - they're checking out the Woods. Take Serafina as well. Kaysen, you and the rest can go with my Lieutenant - he's heading towards the research facility. I'll talk to Barinksa, we need the locals on our side."

"Point out to her," Kaysen said quietly, "... That they may need you."

Levi nodded, then he saluted and left as Oleg and Serafina ran to catch up with the men heading for the woods.

 

[Avari]

The snow faded and thinned at the edge of the woods. The ground was visible in patches, more and more of it the further the pair of Black Squad members looked, making the Woods seem darker then they were. The trees were skeletal, stripped bare of leaves and greenery. Like the rusting cranes they had glimpsed down at the docks.

Sergent Oleg had acknowledged their arrival with a hard stare, and had marched off without another word. The dozen soldiers of Volken fanned out into a line, walking slowly and purposefully through the gloom, rifles across their bodies, angled at the ground. For now.

Signalling her fellow squad members to stack up on her, Serafina took point, as she trod the snow laden ground with purpose. Her eyes scanned the field before them, with occasional fumes of smoke escaping her nostrils.

"Think we'll find our Jane Doe?" she asked Omar, while her vigilant eyes scanned the path before them.

"It's highly possible if what the boy's parents claim is true." Omar replied, letting out a frosty breath as he shuffled a little closer. "The real concern is if she'll be like Alexeev or not. Speaking of, you ever seen anything like that before?" His face slightly turned grim at the mere mention of the corpse.

"You tell me. I've seen countless of dead bodies before, Omar. But this one has a different story, I suppose." she replied, shooting a stern glance at the medic.

The gaps between the trees slowly began to close in on the troops as they advanced. The weak sunlight became ever fainter. The troopers stayed alert, not hurrying, no sign of impatience, frequently checking on the man either side as they slowly moved onwards.

She was lying so still, under a fresh blanket of snow that Omar almost tripped over her.

Face down. Her arms extended. Gloved hands wrapped around the base of a tree as if holding on for dear life.

"What the-" Omar said loudly in English as he halted, holding up fist to signal everyone to stop. "I think I found our Jane Doe." The man announced loudly, switching over to Russian. He bent down and brushed the snow that had collected over her body.

The other men were there in seconds. Several stood with their back to Omar and the others, watching behind them for the possibility of ambush. Oleg stooped down beside them - he was twenty at most, just a kid really.

"... She's breathing."

They rolled the girl over on to her back. Her hair was so almost white, spread across her face. Omar brushed it away gently with his fingers.

Oleg was speaking into his lapel Mike. His words froze as the girl's face appeared from under the strands of hair.

She was a teen, just like Nadia had said. From the shape of her body, from the hair and the clothing, from the startlingly blue eyes that were staring up at him. Her face however, was lined and wrinkled, dry and weathered.

They were staring at the face of an old woman.

Omar's fingers went for her wrist to check her pulse. "Can you speak?"

No response. Nothing. She didn't even blink. They could see she was breathing - the movement of her chest, the mist from her lips. The blue eyes were glazed and fixated, no expression on her lined face. Nothing.

The medic frowned as he set her arm back down. From his bent position, he looked at the others and shook his head.

Oleg shrugged. "She's gone." he said "I have seen it on the battlefield. Shock, trauma. You just leave them to die."

"Even if that's the case, I'm sure the others will be somewhat relieved to see her alive." Serafina said, eyeing her teammates briefly, and then back at Oleg.

With her firm eyes rescinding Oleg's thoughts of leaving the woman to die, Serafina was keen on the latter's eventual revelation of what had happened. While she looked like she was out of it, the woman is one of their leads for this case.

"You think they'll feel relief when they see this... Walking corpse?" Oleg wondered, before shrugging and gesturing to two of the other soldiers to lift the girl.

"Better than no bodies, I reckon. Besides, she's one of our few leads. She might have seen... something." Serafina replied sternly, as she eyed the troopers tending to the girl.

They were rough. Practically pulling her to her feet. She swayed unsteadily, then seemed to remember how to balance. The soldiers began to walk her forwards - she shuffled slowly, and one of the soldiers pushed her forward.

"We'll take her back to the stone Circle for the captain."

"Something feels off about this. Stay frosty." the Finlander said to Omar softly, as she passed him.

Omar nodded in agreement before replying with a quiet, "Will do."

---

To Nadia Barinska's undisguised annoyance, Captain Levi had commandeered her car. One of the soldiers was sitting in the driving seat, and Nadia herself was leaning against one of the stones - glaring and smoking a cigarette.

Oleg's message came before they drove the body away. Kaysen and the rest of Black Squad arrived with the other troops before Omar and Serafina's contingent.

"We're going to take the body over to the research institute," Levi told Kaysen. "Maybe they'll have some equipment for a more thorough look at him."

One of the soldiers called across, pointing towards the woods. The other group was returning now, leaving a dark trail behind them in the snow.

Two of the men were practically carrying a young woman, half pushing, half dragging - Serafina and Omar following slowly behind.

Except as they got closer, you could see that the girl had the face of an old woman, pulling her along beside him.

Two of the soldiers with Levi ran to help - Kaysen and Mileena moved forward as well, the latter with a moment's hesitation.

Kaysen quickly eased one of the soldiers aside - who had been practically dragging her along and took the girl's weight. He gestured to Mileena to take her other arm. The Volken squad members didn't fight about it, evidently happy to get away from her.

"What's her name? Who is she?" He asked as they finally reached the Stone circle.

It was Nadia who answered. She pushed herself off the stone she was leaning on and flicked away the stub of her cigarette.

"Her name is Tasha Palov." The policewman then crossed herself and muttered something that sounded like a prayer under her breath.

Kaysen and Mileena leaned her against the stone where Nadia had been.

"Looks like the same thing that happened to the boy...perhaps a less extreme dose?"

Glancing at the survivor's face a grimace flickered across Mileena's features and she looked away, she had seen far too many young women drained of their life before. "A smaller dose of what exactly? What could have done something like that?" While she talked she pointedly met Kaysen's gaze and flicked her eyes in the direction of the local who certainly wasn't cleared for anything supernatural.

By way of reply, Kaysen turned towards Nadia." What do you think?"

She shrugged. " Some sort of disease or infection."

"Yeah sure," Kaysen nodded. "And what do you really think?"

The woman turned and held his gaze. "Vourdulak." she said. Then she gave a snort of anger and waved her hand dismissively.."What do I know?"

"You'll come with us to the research institute." Levi told her.

"If I must."

"I can't make you," he admitted. "But I am asking."

"Very well... But I'm driving."

She walked over to her car and opened the door. After a moment, the soldier sitting there got out.

"Vourdulak..." Kaysen repeated quietly to himself.

"Something from Russian folklore I take it?"

Kaysen nodded. "It's a powerful vampire that takes the form of a beautiful young woman, but in reality it's an ancient monster that feeds on children... "

Kaysen held the back door of the car open as they helped the girl into the car - her expression still blank, her eyes staring thoughtlessly ahead.

"Does it have only one human disguise or can it imitate anyone? I doubt such a creature would be able to hide very effectively in a community as small as this." She frowned. "There seems to be little reason for choosing such a sparse hunting ground and with the research facility nearby it's activities would be more likely to get attention. This seems like just about the worst possible place for it short of being on our doorstep."

Kaysen stared at her blankly for a moment, apparently taken aback by such a literal response, but then his expression became thoughtful as he closed the car door. "...Unless there's something here it wants. C'mon let's go."

"Where to next?"

"If I were to assume I knew our Commander well, my answer would be the research facility." Omar chimed in, glancing at Mileena before following behind the steps of their leader.

"You'd assume correctly. Let's go kids, it'd be nice to be able to feel my toes again."