Gone Rogue (15 page)

When Slade heard the shooting stop he stepped out of the protection of the statues, the agents were lying on the ground, bleeding from different holes.  “Why the book,” Slade asked the leader that was in front of the crowd lying trying to fight death.  He grinned and then coughed up some blood. 

“Fuck,” he didn’t get to finish his statement as his life drained from him.  Slade looked at the mess and heard sirens in the distance.  Slade went back to the girl and started to dress her wound the best he could, until Zach pulled up with the Jeep.

“Taxi service,” he said with a grin on his face that he always had after a good shooting.  Slade bent over and picked up the lady that was out cold.  “Who the fuck is dame?”  He asked as he opened the back of the Jeep.  “Somebody that we can’t leave behind, she will be tortured for helping us.”  Slade laid her on the rear seat as gently as possible.

Slade could see the police in the distance after Slade closed the door, and they both jumped in the Jeep.  Zach was still driving as he gunned the engine the tires smoked on the pavement as they flew from the scene.  They were getting further away as police cars came around the corners with tires burning and sirens wailing as they raced to the scene of the dead agents.

“What should we do with her?”  Zach asked looking back at the non-moving body.  Slade saw the fire in Zach’s eyes burn brighter than before.  A moment later Slade realized the mistake, Zach wanted her.  It was like a wolf lying in wait for the injured prey.   Slade had no choice, but he had to keep her away from him for now. 

“Hopefully she pulls through; we can’t go to the hospital.”  Slade thought through his thoughts that tried to cloud his mind.  “We continue our plans; we can’t change it for no-one.”

“We have a plan,” Zach asked in a confused manner.  “If I remember correctly they weren’t suppose to shoot the entire city up.”  Now he was speaking as if he was pissed.  “They have destroyed this town,” he continued on.  Remembering some of his sniping back in the day, the way they destroyed towns, by taking out as many people that didn’t deserve their fate like today’s crisis.  The pain of wrecking so many lives haunted the people of towns forever.  Only a few could live with it, and unfortunately, Zach and Slade were one of the few.

“Zach, I’m sorry, I know,” he just stared at Zach who stared at the road and back at the girl.  “Now we have to protect her, she is innocent; she is not going to die.”  Slade didn’t know why, but he had to save her life.  Zach looked at her, and his eyes agreed.  They were there to protect her, and then his eyes flashed back to Slade’s face.

“Close call?”  Zach said as Slade felt his face and felt the open wound; the bullets did get pretty close to ending his fight. 

“I guess,” he remembered one agent shooting towards Zach, “how close was that shot towards you?”  He asked not seeing any wounds.

“I need a new scope,” he said, Slade not following what he said until he saw the gun in the back next to the girl.  He had to stare at it for a while because he couldn’t believe it.

“Dude, how lucky can a guy get, holy shit.”  Slade took a deep breath, “dude you almost were killed.”  The scope of his gun had a bullet hole right through the center of it.

“Actually I had the gun down and was eating a burger, and next I knew my scope had a hole in it.  I figured you needed help from that.”  Slade looked at him, wondering what he was thinking; he thought Zach knew better than getting a reflection from the sun, but damn.  “Come on,” he looked at Slade’s face trying to react to his statement.  “A Wendy’s was right there.”  Zach looked not concerned at all from the actions.

Slade just shook his head.  “Usually people say fast food kills, but today I would have to say that fast food saves lives.”  Slade finally said, taking the neglect lightly.  “What the fuck, you didn’t get me anything?”

They pulled up to a shop that was made for police officers, federal agents and more.  They had badges, guns, vests, and everything they could imagine.  Slade knew of the place, for it was supposed to be ran by something not human.  He didn’t recognize the map of it when the other clerk pointed it out before.  He never did find out what ran it, he just knew what they sold. 

It looked like an old bomb shelter, concrete on the bottom and sides of the building and a tin roof.  The door was the only weak part in the structure.  Slade had a feeling that they had a way to secure that as well.  They walked into the store, leaving the girl inside the Jeep that they covered with a blanket just in case someone had wondering eyes. 

The wound was healing, not as fast as they healed but still the same.  She was going to be okay, and both the men agreed they would wait till she was on her feet before they left her.  Slade didn’t like the idea of leaving her, for he knew the Sanctum would use anything and everything to catch them.  It now was open season on them two; it was a matter of time till they bit on the hook and were reeled in.

  The inside of the building was plain as day,  you walked past a register with a clerk that Slade was pretty sure was equipped with enough fire power he could declare war on a small country.  His desk was a clear case that had scopes and other sites in it.  On the right were your vest, your clothes, and whatever else you needed to get the job done.  A middle shelf had spy gear.  Another middle shelf had lights, flashers and anything else you wanted to have for a vehicle.  The left wall was full of guns, many, many guns.  A smile appeared on both of their faces.

“How can I help you two,” Slade was pretty sure the clerks hand was near a hidden gun behind the desk.

The man had black hair; his eyes were black as oil.  His skin was pale white, his nails the length of a woman but they seemed thick.  His mouth closed but when he spoke, several teeth looked to be as sharp as razors.  He wore a black tight shirt with black pants that made his skin seem even paler.  Slade now knew he wasn’t among mortals; he was talking to a vampire.

“We need new badges, sights, and something to make our vehicle better.”

He stared at him for a while and then turned to face Zach, “Can I see some identification please.”

“Of course,” Zach said handing over his badge and card, Slade followed suit. 

“Preston,” the man said, tapping the card, “where did I hear of your last name before?”  Slade took a gulp, did someone make a call about them, would a vampire help the agency.  Zach started to have sweat run down his forehead, as he looked at the man.  Zach must have realized what they were facing now. 

“Your glasses won’t work,” he said as if he read Slade’s mind.  Then he opened his mouth in a smile and his canines were sharper than anything Slade have seen before.  Slade’s mind raced through what he knew about vampires, trying to figure the best way to stop them.  Nothing came to mind, for they were once human and something the agency aloud.

Slade almost stumbled as he backed up a little “Sorry we can’t help you.”  His lips pulled back to a hiss, Zach stood between the vampire and Slade.  The vampire staring at Slade hard, and now he knew more vampires were staring at them.  

“Leave agent,” the vampire said now silent footsteps approached from a hidden doorway. 

“Here we go again,” Zach said putting his hands up to the vampire to stop his movements forward.  The vampire tried to push Zach away and as the vampire’s hands went to Zach’s neck, his hands jerked back right away.  All the vampires in the place were now in the room, their eyes black, their heads twitching. 

“Sorry,” the vampire said as he went on a knee into a bow, “Please, forgive my clan for the hostility we have shown you and what I assume your prisoner.”  The other vampires now bowed with their leader.  “I would have never of raised my voice to you or touched you, if I known you were our savior.”

“Savior?”  Slade asked confused on the matter as Zach’s hand was grabbed by the vampire and was being kissed on his knuckles like he was the king.

“Aww, Slade do something.”  He said but Slade was stunned as much as Zach was.

The vampire stopped his groveling and stared at Zach and then too Slade.  “You ask your prisoner’s aid?” the vampire’s eyes squinted in bafflement, “This must be a new way to get into a prisoner’s head.”  He looked at Slade this time his eyes staring at him trying to figure something out.  “My protector may I assist you, by draining some of this massive beast.”

“Ummm…, no.”  Zach answered the vampire waiting seconds before saying no.

“As you wish, but my savior I would highly suggest you have him in restraints, I would not want him to wound you.”  He snapped his fingers standing up and a vampire appeared in front of Zach with sets of chains and handcuffs.

“Aww, he’s fine.”  Zach said still confused on the respect he was receiving.  Slade was just as confused as Zach was about what was happening.  They or rather Zach was being treated like a knight for them.  A knight like his ancestor said before.

“Has our knight already at his young age learned of restraining techniques by spell?”  All the vampires started to gasp and whisper to each other of the remarkable abilities that Zach apparently had.

“Well you know,” Zach started to blush. 

“My apologies Sir Preston, but may I offer you my daughter she is without child and with your seed we could have a new breed of guardians.”

“What?”  Slade came out of his amused silence, “did you just offer your daughter as a gift?”

“Silence!” his voice boomed shaking the walls, “don’t speak unless your capturer says you can.” 

“I…”  Slade was cut off fast by vampires rushing towards him in silence one grabbed his arms and another his legs, then one went to his neck but when he touched his neck, he stopped and fell backwards.  He hissed, his eyes wide open, and the others backed away as the vampire held his arms up guarding himself as if they were burnt.

“What my sons,” he said looking at the vampires backing away.

“Father, thththethere are two,” the kid stuttered the words out.

“Protector Preston is this so,” the vampire asked who stood next to Zach.

“Sure, why not,” Zach sighed as the vampires gasped, the one that gasped by Zach now raised his hands over his chest.  A movement that made no sense for the vampire had no heart. 

“Sir,” he looked at Slade, now in as much shock as Zach was just before, “Wesley, why do you carry a Secret Sanctum badge?” he then looked again at the name and started to tap it as he did with Zachs.

“Vampire, tell me what you are thinking,” Slade said to him as his expression changing from shock to a confused look again. 

“Sorry, sirs I would not be silent in front of you, just that your names remind me of two others.  Actually now that I look at you more closely, you look like them.  Just younger, yes, I know you, I knew your fathers, of course.”  He said walking over to a book, and pulling it down and turning the pages, they walked over to him, and he followed the pages.  “Yes, here we go, see this.”

“Guardian Wesley, Guardian Preston, came into the shop to buy equipment to break into the Sanctum.  However, they would not share their brilliant ideas with me for the fear that the Sanctum would find us.  Oh, they left a memo for if their kin came in the store, here,” without hesitation, the vampire sped away and came back with another book.

“It looks like a diary.”  Zach said wondering the same thing Slade was wondering, did all vampires carry diaries.

“Yes, I’m very old these days, my memory can’t retrieve information like it use to.”  He then turned the page for them, “Please read, I think you should know this.”

Slade bent his head and read the familiar handwriting.  It was from his dad.  “We have planted the book in the library, and we will hopefully be able to retrieve it later.”  Slade noticed an unknown marking at the end, “what is this?”

The vampire looked at it, “Oh yes that means they wanted to write things down privately.  I don’t usually do that, but again they were guardians.  Let me see, I have that book somewhere,” he started to look at his old books in a shelf behind him.  His family of vampires started to smell the two knights that were treated like kings.  From the looks on their faces, something must have smelled nice to them.  “Here we go.  Now family the guardians seem not to like you’re smelling of their blood, clean the shop while we entertain these guests,” his word hissing at the end like a snake.

“Yes, father,” they said in unison and walked away.

“Sorry, you know kids; they get so wild, with mating with their victims and then draining them all the way.  You know how kids are, these days.”

Slade just nodded in agreement, not really knowing how to answer to that statement.  Even Zach just nodded still confused on how the simple shopping trip went to something so weird.

“They noticed my writing, and they asked if they could write something, for a later date, like they knew something that they needed us to watch.  It was about six years ago I think they wrote this, I didn’t know why they wanted to write in my books but I would not refuse to aid them anyway possible.”  He stared at Zach and then Slade.  His eyes telling them he would do no less for them.

He handed the book over, and he turned the pages over to reveal a title on the page, “To Rob Wesley,” Slade read aloud then to himself, as a big lump formed in his throat. 
I know you don’t go by Rob anymore, for the agency will change your name.  I know they have been trying to find us, and more I know they will take you by force from me.  My partner, by now you must know is Zach’s father and he knew it would be hard to break free from their control, but I knew you could.  Our family is not an ordinary family you may have found out; we have the blood of ancient guardians.  Our blood has come from the secret kingdom that you will travel too.  You must find the doorways and secure them.  You must secure the weapon at any means necessary.  The agency is getting too strong, and they have a new leader.  I do not know the identity of the leader, but they can summon creatures from the demon realm.  I have so much to tell you, but we are being hunted down, one by one, and the hardest thing to do is to split from Zach’s father and try to protect you long enough for them to think they have won.  If you have not met our ancestor yet, well never mind, Cletus and his family would have killed you by now..  Please protect each other; like we have protected each other, the world will kill you otherwise.  You will understand it all when you find the kingdom.