Blood Sisters
Chapter 5

Special Marshal Paul Desnoyers,better known to the world as the hero D-Day. Paul was the second manto hold that honor, the first being the retired hero FrancisFlemming. Marshal Desnoyers was awakened just after 1 AM and rusheddown to his office. An average sized man with hazel eyes and sandybrown hair, there was nothing remarkable that one would notice aboutPaul by looking at him. You could not tell that he was one of theleading experts in the world in Robotics, and that he had thepeculiar New Human power to shrink himself down to about six inchestall. That was it, smart and small, that was Paul.

Whatmost of the world also did not know that the man in the new D-Daybattlearmor was not, in fact, in the armor so much as he was pilotingthearmor. There were several D-Day armor sets throughout the UnitedStates, one in France and one in Japan. Paul could remotely pilot anyof them as well as he could pilot his master suit; which to theoutside observer was only slightly larger then a man. To 6” tallPaul it was a massive armored anthropomorphicvehicle. Paul piloted the D-Day unit while he was the size of anaction figure from the cockpit in its head. He often joked that theD-Day toys they sold should be labeled “Actual Size”.

Marshal Desnoyers felt acid sickspread through him as he watched the footage from the securitycameras. Michaela had carved a path of blood from her cell to TheSilhouette's, seven guards in all, starting with CO Michael Dallas.“Damn Dallas, you poor soul” Paul muttered. When Mike Dallas leftThe Dead Man unattended he had sown the seeds for his own death.

Paul reviewed the gruesomerecording again. Dallas, Jane Sardis and Martha Carter-Brown, the twowomen that were on duty outside Michaela's cell at the time. Thenfour more men killed as the fugitives encountered them: Lt. PappyGrange, the shift commander, Douglas Brown, George Zuckerberg, JoeBallard. Michaela had killed them all, before Davos could even catchup to the vampire. The Dead Man took the time to look at each manthat fell, as if keeping track of the cost in lives of his freedom.Paul had never understood Victor Davos. Paul felt rage start tofester.

The footage suddenly switched tonight-vision when the lights went out in the block outside TheSilhouette's cell. Mere seconds later, the beam of a flashlight, thennothing but darkness.

Paul was disgusted. He snappedthe screen off and thought of the dead officers. The only one he knewwell was Pappy Grange. Everyone knew Old Pappy. He had been at Shay'ssince it opened. Pappy was just one of those guys that held the placetogether, everyone loved the guy. Now he was dead. Murdered forhaving the shit luck to be walking down the wrong hallway into anightmare.

Paul's sigh whistled sharpthrough his clenched teeth. He and his team were in for some verylong days and nights, damn Davos to hell. Picking up the phone, D-Daypunched in the code that would summon his special marshals to theoffice. Then he sat down to start placing the seven calls he now hadto make, starting with Mike Dallas' brother, Mark.

***

Victor Davos woke with a deepbreath. He was on a dusty bed in a dark motel room somewhere.

His head was throbbing and hegroaned. Waking up after you've been dead for a while was alwaysunpleasant. Though, he thought he held on this time, he was justunconscious.

The Shadow Dimension, as youmight imagine, has no air. This was not a problem for Silhouette, whowas born adapted to both our world and to Shadow. Nor was it aproblem for Michaela, who was apparently sustained by the power ofher stolen blood alone. Victor however, needed air, and quickly beganto suffocate. This was a death he had experienced before, a painfulway to go.

The Dead Man played back what hecould remember from the experience before he lost consciousness.Shadow was not a vacuum, it felt like being submerged in some viscousliquid darkness. There was a sense of gravity, the same as on Earth,which in retrospect Victor thought very interesting.

He could not speak in the airlessShadow Dimension, obviously, but Victor remembered Michaela speakinginto his mind through her blood, still poisoning him. The Silhouetteseemed able to manipulate shadow so she could speak, hear and beheard. The vampire had laughed as she realized Davos was strugglingto breathe in vain. “Goodbye, Dead Man have a nice sleep”she mocked into his brain. Victor decided right then that someday hewould see that creature destroyed. He hated her to the core.

TheSilhouette walked over to Victor as he sat up on the cheap motel bed.The droning sound-waves from traffic filled the room like a steel andrubber tide, shaking occasionally as tractor-trailers flew by on thehighway. The lights were off in the room, and Victor could only seefrom what filtered from outside and the soft glow of Silhouette'seyes. “Feeling better Muerte?” The Dark Lady asked. Davos heldhis head, still throbbing. “Yeah, I will be fine. Where are we, andwhere is that damn vampire?” The Silhouette smirked, “We steppedout into this motel room about... I don't know, maybe 40 miles awayfrom Shay's Mountain, I have not actually left the room yet. You werein pain, and dying, so I jumped out of the first shadow I could replacethat... no one could see” she waved a hand towards the dark hall bythe bathroom. Victor noticed for the first time that The Silhouettehad a pleasant Latina accent, he grunted in offhand approval. Davosasked again “and where is Michaela?”. Silhouette snorted withdisdain “that putoleft as soon as we stepped through, saying she had someone to seebefore...” Victor stood up too fast and swayed on his feet. Hegrowled “Damn her frozen hide! We are still too close to theprison, and flea bag motels like this are the firstplace they are going to look!” The Dead Man sat back down on thebed before he fell down, waving a puff of dust from before his face.The Midnight Mistress shrugged “Claroque sí, that's what I toldher. If she isn't back and the Marshals come, we'll jump back toShadow, andalinfierno con ella.”Davos nodded and said darkly “Nah, I think she'd like it there.”

***

Mark Dallas gripped the phoneangrily as he listened to what Marshal Desnoyer was telling him. Histwin brother Mike, dead. Murdered by an escaped New-Hum whore. Markbarely heard what the Marshal was telling him... “we will notrest”... “we are so sorry for your loss”... “he will getjustice”... Mark just stammered some words, not sure what. Then heslammed the phone down. Mike was the only one that knew Mark'ssecret. They were twins, yes, but Mark was the one with powers. Inorder to protect his normal twin brother, they both decidedthat they would keep Mark's abilities a secret. Well, hell, thatdidn't matter anymore did it? “Were gonna get justice all-right,Marshal” Mark said bitterly into the air.

When he was 17, Mark lost histemper when his drunk-ass worthless Father hit his Mother so hardthat blood from her mouth splattered his face. He loved his Momma. Heloved the West Texas home where they lived. He lost his temper, thenhe lost that world. The fire burst uncontrolled from Marks body,burning his childhood home down in scant minutes. His brother Mikewas outside doing chores. His Father was blown outside the house,horribly burned, scarred for life. His Mother died in ashes at hisfeet.

He had not spoken to his fathersince that day. Mark never forgot what he did to his momma. Shescreamed and died in his dreams all the years from that hellishnight, his shame and fear keeping his temper in check ever since.Until now. For the second time Mark Dallas burned down his house,this one in a quiet suburb of Houston. A flaming comet of grief andrage streaked up into the night sky. Wildfire was born.

***

At her apartment near Shay'sMountain, Dr. Reed had been enjoying her day off. She was sitting inher flannel pajamas and comfy slippers, drinking her tea and enjoyinga few ginger snaps as she watched movies into the evening. After thethe last one ended she drowsily clicked through the channels, notwanting to go to bed where she would just sleep alone again. Sarahsettled on the History Channel, which was running some show onancient Greece. Soon she was dozing on her couch.

***

Paul finished the last call andrubbed his face in his hands, trying to shake off all the grief andanger the victim's families had all just started to go through. Hetook a deep breath then began preparing the briefing for his team. Hecould see on his security screen that several of them were alreadyarriving.

The first was Captain Lisa Shaw,code name Peregrine, in her metallic blue flightarmor. She was theprotege of the former Liberty Brigade leader Freedom Falcon,and helped develop the MK-X flightarmor for the Blue Berets. She is ashort spunky gal with mousy brown hair and brown eyes, a talentedengineer and Air Force reserve officer on loan to the team. She hadno New Human ability that D-Day knew of, yet here she was, in hercustom flightarmor, ready to rock. Paul would never admit it, but asa fellow scientist and powered-armor user, Peregrine was hisfavorite.

Lisa was talking to Jack Steele,code name Broadsword. Jack could absorb metal into his body, thenshape it in a variety of ways. The more he absorbed, the denser hegot as more mass was forced into the same sized body. He broke a lotof chairs. Jack can cover his body in metal armor, and he sometimesgrew a blade or other weapon from his arm when he fights, thus hiscode name. Jack's body is stronger and tougher then normal so it cancontain and support the metal he absorbs.

At the moment he was making Lisasome silver barrettes, which she promptly used to pin down her hairbefore putting her flight helmet back on. That was the other thingabout Jack, he could absorb different kinds of metal, combine themand shape them in whatever way he chose. He was also quite a ladiesman, handsome and easy going with light brown hair and large grayeyes. Lisa is not the first woman he made a piece of jewelry for withhis bare hands. He had a thing for Captain Shaw, but so far she hadresisted his advances. A situation handsome Jack was unaccustomed to.

The next marshal to arrive isWinter Ashton, code name North Star. Winter is Allison Ashton's kidsister. She, like many New-Hum siblings, were not born with anyspecial abilities. Several years back, a criminal known as Splicerhad abducted the younger sister of Miss Liberty, Earth's mightiesthero. Usually not a smart move.

Splicer had been dealing incustom mutations. He had found a way to make normal people, intoNew-Hums. The catch was, while he was mutating his lab rats,he also made them vulnerable to his suggestions. His puppet mutationswould then commit a variety of crimes, until they had payed him off,which never occurred. Even worse, Splicer had implanted an explosivecharge at the base of their skulls that he could detonate remotely ifthey tried to cross him or got caught, literally blowing their headsoff. Paul had seen the pictures, it really did.

Long story short, LibertyBrigade, who among others included Miss Liberty and Freedom Falcon atthe time, were after Splicer, and getting close. Splicer got hold ofWinter, turning her into a criminal that went by the name Frostbite,a New-Hum with the ability to control temperature, absorb and projectwater. She could only take energy from matter to make it colder, andwith that ability Winter could create a variety of effects, typicallywith her absorbed water. Like Broadsword and metal, Winter haslearned to absorb a large reserve of water molecules in her body.Unlike Broadsword, her mass did not seem to change from thisabsorption. This trait was one of many that has puzzled theMetaphysicians about the variations and inconsistencies between NewHuman mutations. A scientist himself, it made Paul's brain hurt too,where did the mass of all that water go? For that matter, where didhis mass go when he shrank,it went somewhere, because he lost an enviable amount of weight...

Eventually Winter was rescued,and the bomb on her skull was removed. But that story is not over,Splicer disappeared without a trace, and has been missing many yearsnow. Not all that surprising Paul supposed, being wanted by MissLiberty would drive most people into hiding.

Winter Ashton once had the sameblonde hair and sun-kissed skin of her older sister. Hertransformation into Frostbite also caused a change in her appearance.She now had platinum white hair, the fairest alabaster skin you haveever seen and sapphire blue eyes that could freeze any man in theirtracks. Paul would never say it aloud, but he thinks that kid sistergot the looks while big sister got the super-strength. As nicelooking as Ally Ashton was, her little sister was movie-stargorgeous.

***

The night that would changeSarah's life forever started with breaking glass. Sarah shot upawake, spilling her cold tea all over the floor where her mug bouncedon the carpet. The young doctor stood in mute horror, hearing thesound of crunching glass below bare blue feet as Michaela stalkedslowly into the living room towards Sarah. The vampire's ruby eyesshone with wicked delight as her fanged maw opened in a serpent hissat her prey.

***

Victor Davos returned to thehotel room with a plastic bag from the pharmacy down the street. Hestarted a well-honed routine of disguising himself, as he has donemore times then he could count over the years. “Not my proudestmoment, sneaking into a CVS and shoplifting some cosmetics, but we dowhat me must” he sneered at himself in the mirror as he starteddarkening his skin.

He glanced at the exotic womanbehind him, suppressing a surge of attraction. “Okay, shadow lady.We can't know for sure if the man at the desk in the lobby has seenor heard anything that could tip off the Marshals. I am going to goclub him, and take his place at the desk. I will be able to pass forhim well enough. Do what you can to hide the traces of us from thisroom, then go replace a dark corner to hide in with him where you cansee me. When the Marshals stop by to check out this motel I'll sendthem on their way, then we can rest easy for a few hours till hermajesty the blood queen gets back.”

TheDead Man gave Silhouette a sly look and she smirked back at him.“I'll clean out the register and the safe, then we will stuff themanager in a closet. He will wake up thinking he was just a victim ofa stupid robbery, the morning shift will replace him all trussed up.This should be cake, there is no security in the lobby, just outside.When the Marshals do a second sweep, the robberywill make them look closer at this place, but we should be long goneby then.”

Silhouette just stared at theback of Davos' head “Why don't we just leave Muerte, if D-Day'steam are the ones...” Victor interrupted her “D-Day and his creware not going to be the ones checking the motels, that's what he hasregular Marshals for.” The Dark Lady still stewed “OK, fine, butI still don't understand why we don't just ditch the vamp.” Victorglanced back at her “Because, we need her, my little blackbird.”Silhouette gave him half a grin at that, he winked then kept going“Michaela is the one they really want, and we're gonna let themhave her once we're done with the plan.” The Midnight Mistresstapped her foot impatiently “What plan Muerte? No one has told meof any plan!” Victor gave her a grim look. “Michaela wants tokill Miss Liberty, and we are going to help her do it.”

***

“It'slunchtimeSarah” Michaela's words hung like an early frost in the air.Freezing Sarah in absolute terror as the vampire walked closer, eachstep stretching out to forever. Michaela's hand struck out like aviper, viciously grabbing Sarah around the neck and digging in herclaws. Pearls of blood trailed down Sarah's skin as the black talonstore deeper into her flesh. The vampiress jerked the good Doctorclose, whipping her head forward with a thick snap. Michaela hissedand licked the Sarah's face with her rough cold tongue. Sarahtrembled helplessly in her steel grip, whimpering in fear and tooscared to cry.

***

The last member of D-Day'sSpecial Marshals to arrive was also the youngest, Todd Scott, codename Titan. The tall good-looking young man had a thick muscledbuild. He had a bright smile that lit up his dark brown face and abald head that looked smooth and polished. He was enrolled in the MBAprogram at Stanford and he graduated from Amherst College. Todd’sfamily were wealthy, owning vineyards near Modesto California andwere successful vintners. Regardless, Todd was a bright kid whostudied hard, played hard, and earned his own way. Which was just aswell, he had no interest in wine.

As Titan, Todd Scott is verystrong, very tough and can grow to more then twice his height, whichmade him even stronger. He always grumbled about how New-Hum'scouldn't play in the NBA, he would have been the best center theLakers ever had.

Paul looked down at his fourMarshals on one of his offices security screens. His attentionlingered a moment, watching their smiles, listening to their jokes...they were in a world where Michaela, The Dead Man and The Silhouettewere still in jail, where seven guards had not just been brutallymurdered. The same seven guards who, knowing Michaela, were just thestart of what would almost surely be a bloody killing spree. With asigh D-Day rose up from his desk and went to tell his team the badnews.

***

Sarahdid start to cry as she struggled in vain to pull away from thehorrid creature that held her in its claws. “Please... oh Godplease... Michaela I don't want to die... please!” Sarah tearfullybegged, knowing it was hopeless. Michaela laughed, a sound like ashard of glass pulled over the strings of a violin. “I am not goingto kill you, at least not yet Doctor. I want you to suffer, sufferbadly...and I want to make sure you remember me for what remains of yourworthless life.” The Vampire spit thick blood over Sarah's face,causing her to retch against the bony hand crushing her neck.

***

Marshal Desnoyer was only a fewminutes into the briefing with his team. By this point they all hadlooks of anger and resolve chiseled on stony faces. The securityfootage from the time Victor Davos and CO Dallas left the infirmaryto the escape with The Silhouette told most of the story. “Theexpedited apprehension of such dangerous fugitives, as you all know,is the central reason all of us have jobs here. This will be thefirst real test of the United States Special Marshal Service, and wemust not fail.” The questions began. Jack Steele “OK, so whileDavos was off camera, he didn't take much more time then he wouldhave taken to get that vial from the lab. Does anyone not think therewas blood in that vial? Where did that come from, and to state theobvious, why the hell isn't there a camera in the lab?” Paul shookhis head in resignation “I have no idea Jack, about the camera, Ican tell you that my report confirms that was Michaela's blood in thevial.”

“That's where the blood camefrom” Winter quipped bitterly at Jack, who frowned. “You knowdamn well I was talking about why such a large sample was just lyingaround in there.” Winter retorted “Its... a medical lab?”Sarcasm. Jack rolled his eyes. “You're not getting...” Titanbroke in “Jack, don't play it that way” he looked over at Paul“we haven't talked about it, Paul, but we've all heard the rumorsabout the blood sampling.” Paul nodded affirmatively but only said“classified blah blah blah...” Winter shot “Even now they aresticking with that?” Paul sighed “Look I know we're all prettyupset right now, lets focus on one problem at a time here, OK?”Silence.

Todd Scott “Right. so... DeadMan has no history of psi powers” he rewound the infirmary footage“Dallas here is obviously being controlled, likely from Michaela'sblood that Dead Man mick'd into his coffee. Did anyone know she coulddo that?” Winter quipped “Davos did.” Eye rolls all around.“North Star....” Paul began “yeah OK sorry.” Winter crossedarms against her chest and slumped in her chair. “My report doesnot contain any information about Michaela's blood allowing mindcontrol, but it follows considering...” Heads nodded. Titan again“OK and here.... and here... Davos talking to himself... anegomaniac like him was not going to just allow himself to be takenover, so he must have had time to lay out his play to Michaela, or...yeah.” Jack said “Yeah, so the blood also allows mentalcommunication with Michaela.” “Yuck” Lisa said. “Yup” Jackagreed. Lisa had just been sitting quietly, leaning back in herchair, her eyes closed and her head back. She could have beensleeping, but everyone knew she was listening and thinking. She didthat.

Winter started in “Alight, dowe have any ideas about where they might have gone, I think its safeto assume Victor is the man in charge here, well for the most part.He is the one with the plan anyway. I am sure there must be more tothis then just an escape.” Jack replied “Why wouldn't justescaping be enough, you think they are all together still?” Winternodded “Yup, I really do.” “You have anything to back that up,or is it just your gut?” North Star just patted her belly. Paulsaid “We will replace out soon enough either way, but I have thefeeling that Winter is right.” Titan nodded, Jack considered.Winter parsed her lips and scrunched her shoulders. Lisa's nosetwitched.

D-Day took a moment to pourhimself another coffee and turned on the sound from the C&Cworkstation so he could hear the chatter from around the prison andthe fort as personnel checked in during their sweep. No one in thisroom thought for a second that any of the fugitives were stillanywhere near the mountain, but it had to be done. Paul typed in atext requesting the regular marshals assigned to him check in. Theywere the only ones in the field outside the facility at this point.Paul stared at the still on his screen of the three fugitives justbefore The Silhouette took them into Shadow. “Where the hell didthey go” he muttered.

Lisa Shaw sat up with a start,knocking her flight helmet off of the table from where it rested byher elbow. The resulting clang made the room jump. “Hey, Paul”Lisa said urgently “I had coffee with Dr. Sarah Reed earlier today,you know, the Doctor that was handling Michaela?” there was agathering storm in the silence that hung in the room as Lisa finishedher thought. “I mean, this is her weekend off... Sarah is not inthe facility...” D-Day cursed and grabbed at his phone. “Get meher number by the time I get an outside line Peregrine!” Lisa hadit up on the screen in seconds and they all waited desperately, eachmoment dragging on way to long. Lisa's hand flew over the flippedopen screen and keyboard built into the left forearm of her armor,reading the information as it came up in response. She looked up atPaul in alarm, a blinking red LED light from the screen reflecting onher wide brown eyes. D-Day looked back at her “What is it?!”Peregrine replied anxiously “There was a 9-1-1 call from Sarah'sapartment, the line is still open, but there is no response.”

***

Sarah could only shake and sob.She retreated into her mind to the same place she had before whenfeeling so helpless. Michaela tore through the crotch of Sarah'sflimsy flannel pajamas and scraped her razor sharp claws deep insideof her, pulling out bloody strings of flesh that had been the heartof Sarah's womanhood. Blood poured down Sarah's legs and pooled onthe floor at her feet. Sarah fled desperately into her mind trying toescape the horror. She distantly heard herself scream, screeching inmortal terror. Michaela licked her hand and claws clean in Sarah'sface, exultant as her victim wailed out the music Michaela played onher instrument of flesh.

“Now I am a jealous lover, mydear Sarah, and as you can see... I will be the last lover you willever have.” With a soul-chilling growl Michaela tore the flesh offof Sarah Reed's face, her screams cut off as blood flooded into hermouth. Michaela flung the doctor against the floor with sickeningforce that cracked the wood below the red stained carpet, nearlypushing Sarah clear through into her basement. Sarah lay theretwitching, a whisper away from death, her spine and body brokeneverywhere, sinking into a pool of her own blood.

“Now dearest.” Michaela bither own hand and dripped some of her bio-energy infused blood intowhat remained of Sarah's mouth. “That should keep you alive longenough for someone to help you.” The vampiress stood and lookeddown at her work with a deep sense of satisfaction, a grin of spearson her cold blue face. Michaela left the mutilated body of Dr. Reedbehind and walked towards the cordless phone on the floor beside theupturned coffee table, amid spilt tea and crushed ginger snaps. Thevampire dialed 9-1-1 and left the line open, dropping the phonecallously next to Sarah's bloody feet.