FicWad

Chapter 26



Cleric Team decided that moving into Boston would be the best thing, considering the process that the Clan was using in order to resolve their "war"against the Inquisition. Since the operation of that night had gone swiftly, they were able to gain for themselves a good night's sleep, and for them to be up at 0 dark 30 in the morning and for them to head into Boston at about 1200 hours east coast time. The Vatican was called the night before, and Antonio was placed on a plane to Boston to meet them at about the same time. The archdiocese was informed of Cleric Team's approach, and they were told to keep it covert, but also to house both the friar and the team until their business was done. Once they arrived, they were quickly swept into the back of the main cathedral of the city, and covertly put them into the dwelling areas. They were met by the friar, and Yuuna then said, "So, what do you think?"

"I would say that you struck with the swiftness of an experienced surgeon removing someone's appendix," said Tony, "The news is still trying to come up with answers on how an entire ranch could disappear like that. They all agreed it was the explosion that was heard for miles that must have had something to do with it, but no one knows the source of it. The Air Force denies that they were doing any test bombing, nor was the crater created by an underground test-which they would not do so close to the city-or by something from space. Everyone is baffled, and they say that there may never be any resolution to this, although the urban legends are beginning to spread like wildfire."

Hearing this, Cleric Team let out a good "hooah" and started to celebrate a bit at another successful mission. Tony waited for them to calm down a bit, and then he said, "What is the next move?"

"According to the intelligence we gathered," said Hiryuu, "their base is located somewhere underneath Boston Commons, and we need to assess first what we face. Thus Yuuna and I are going to be playing tourist, but nosing around abit."

"What about the rest of you?" asked Tony.

Sean Hartley piped up at this point, and said, "We hear that there is a Rugby tournament in town, and we're going to check it out!"

Everyone cheered at this, as Tony asked, "Is that wise?"

"We got to have some R and R at some point," said Hartley, "We don't get many chances for that."

Tony shrugged at this, knowing that he was only along for the ride anyway, and that they knew what they were doing. He was mainly there to provide intelligence, and a possible liaison with the vampires should the opportunity present itself. Considering that there was nothing else to do, he decided to go with them.



Earlier that day, the bowling tournament was taking place, and the sky was still cloudy enough for Anjou to risk being out in the day with proper protection, and again, her teammates were careful about her "condition" (which was all they knew,) to get her inside with little issue. Because of her scores, she was the top seed of a ladder format, and she would then bowl two strings to determine the New England individual champion. After waiting about 45 minutes, she was taking on a girl from Connecticut, (although she was attending Dartmouth,) and she had all the markings of an upper crust girl whose preferred position on someone was looking down on them. She had only taken up bowling as a means of getting out of doing any hard Phys Ed while there, and it turned out that she was very good at it. Now, she stood a chance of being the New England champion, and she acted as if being this was her rightful place. It amused her that she was taking on some girl from a state university, and somewhere in her subconscious, she seemed to feel that defeating her would only be fitting to demonstrate how the pecking order in life should be. Anjou approached the lanes, and placed her balls onto the return. The snob was amused that she had decided to make her balls look like pool balls, and figured that she had some working class stiff before her. However, she was taken aback at the poise and grace of her actions as she prepared. Granted, her clothing was exquisite, but very out of date. It looked even odder when she wore her team jersey over the outfit. Indeed, she acted like she was of good breeding, but the way she dressed and the balls she used made her think that she was dealing with an oddball. Since she was the lower seed, she had the opportunity to lead off, but acted as if that should always be her privilege. No words were exchanged, but it seemed that they were having an entire conversation by the looks they gave one another. The snob was saying, "Prepare for your thrashing," and Anjou was looking at her as if to say, "I'm going to wipe that smug look off your face."



For the first string, it stayed fairly even, with Anjou only behind by a few pins. All the while, the snob was giving her looks in such a fashion as to try to rattle her, but Anjou paid it no mind. In the second string, it became ashow of one-upmanship. Each converted a single pin mark, then the Four Horsemen. Then the snob had a Four Horsemen with a sleeper ten pin, and she converted it. Then Anjou had the same thing on the other side with a sleeper eight pin-a harder shot. Anjou converted this with ease, and the tension built with every shot. This was followed by the Hi-Lo-Jack with wood to help, and the snob converted. This was followed by Anjou getting this herself, but with no deadwood. As Anjou went back for the ball, she saw the snob looking down the lane smugly and confidently, but not at her. Anjou merely let her gentle grin show through, and stepped up for the shot. She surprised everyone by abandoning her hook for this shot, and went straight. She hit to the right of the headpin, and that carried the seven as her ball caromed over and cleared out the ten. The growing crowd watching erupted. It was mark for mark and point for point. However, the snob was being frustrated that this girl was keeping pace with her. She thought she should be way ahead by this point, but it was not happening. She was even more frustrated when it seemed that Anjou never once changed her emotions throughout the match. Her face was abusinesslike and as stoic as ever. Then, in the ninth, the snob stepped up and hit a strike. This would force Anjou to match, and then for her to hope the snob falter in the tenth. However, Anjou, though she did not seem to be rattled, was only able to make a ten box. This left the door wide open for the snob to put Anjou away for good. She had a fill of two balls for the strike, and if she were able to go spare on strike, it would put the lead to 23 pins. If she were able get a fill of seven on the spare, she would force Anjou into atriple strike situation. The snob stepped onto the approach, and fired. However, she was able to get only 9 on the fill, and then the ten box. However, that would then put the lead to 22 pins, forcing a double strike situation. People were mesmerized by the scores that were mounting, and it was certain the two girls were setting some kind of record for the scores they were making. The house went silent, and Anjou lined up. As was her style, she used the whole approach, but came in on the Brooklyn side. Yet, somehow, it carried, and the pins went down in a heap-strike. The house went crazy, and then hushed as she approached the return for her next ball. She looked up to find both Jean-Claude, and Karin, who braved the sun in order to see her sister roll. Karin smiled in a way that let her know she believed in her, and Jean-Claude nodded with that knowing smile on his face. Seeing the faces of support on those that she loved redoubled her resolve, and she found steel in her backbone to do what she knew how to do. This was actually furthered by the look on the face of the snob, who was staring daggers into her at this point. She did not want to see this happen. For some reason, jealousy was pouring out of every pore, and it set Anjou's heart racing. She was going to do this, and then corner the girl for a needed meal, having been up in the daytime for most of the weekend. She lined up, but in her approach, she lost control of the ball and it skip-lobed down the lane, hitting the pins low. However, because of the tremendous hook she put on the ball, enough pins fell and rolled on the deck to begin a chain reaction, causing one to tumble after the other. Finally, only the headpin stood, and a pin rolled around and cut it out. She had scored a back door strike. The crowd went crazy again, and now, for the first time, the snob became vocal, and said, "Dumb luck-that's just dumb luck!"

Anjou just lowered her, head, furrowed her brow, and gave a grin that shook the snob into silence. Anjou went back to the approach for her final ball. "Just keep it on the lane, Muff!" shouted Jean-Claude, "Just three pins, and keep it out of the corner."

Anjou could have just sent it down the middle, and it would have been enough, but she had to prove a point. She lined up as if the shot mattered more than it did, hooked it, and splattered the rack-turkey! What had been loud cheering before became bedlam. Anjou just turned around, looked at the girl, and raised an eyebrow as if to say, "Still say it was a fluke?"



The snob stormed to the ladies room with smoke proverbially coming out of her ears. Anjou waited for about a minute and gathered her balls, and then followed up. Karin said, "Uh oh, I think that girl is her type!"

All Jean-Claude would say was, "Good, that girl seemed to need an attitude adjustment!"

Inside the room, the snob was cursing up a storm, demeaning the girl that had just beaten her, and she only had revenge on her mind. However, this happened as Anjou entered. She looked at the now shocked girl and said, "My, my, my-brave words spoken when the person who is meant to hear it is not around. Just how brave are you?"

Her eyes glowed yellow and her fangs extended. Before she could scream, she moved in swiftly and latched on. After that was done, she erased the memory and laid her on the floor. She then went out for the trophy ceremony, and she was asked where her opponent was. Anjou just said that she would be along-it was a "woman" issue.



Karin did her best to bundle up and protect herself during the Rugby match, yet, despite that, she still left with a decent tan that day. She never understood how it was that Anjou could withstand it. As far as the game went, it was competitive against the Fighting Irish, but the tale began to tell, and it was UMaine's game all the way. However, there were others in the crowd that took an interest. Hiryuu and Yuuna saw the man wearing #15, and they realized that it was the same one earlier that day who was taking photographs in the Commons. They also found it odd how he was snapping several shots in the subway not too far from that spot. However, as they investigated, they realized that he was showing them all the entrance points to the hideout of the Inquisition, just where they had suspected, and where the intelligence had said. They were surprised to see him on the field, and how he was conferring with one of the larger men on the team. He was wearing #5, and he seemed like he enjoyed playing defense. Indeed, he was a vicious player. It was not such that he was mean; it was that, when you had the ball, he got mad because you had the ball! The game was enjoyable, but they also wondered what #15 had to do with what they were dealing with. He was not a vampire-that much was certain. They had to find him after and find out what he knew. Yet, Tony seemed to feel that he had seen #5 before, but from where he sat, he could not put his finger on it. Once the game was over, people in the stands were milling around with the players, and this is when Yuuna and Hiryuu brought to Hartley's attention about #15. The three then went to talk to him just as Tony walked up, and as Cheese walked up to Jean-Claude. When Jean-Claude saw Tony, he was surprised and overjoyed, saying, "Friar," and they embraced. As they exchanged pleasantries, the three backed off, and then they said, "You know him?"

Tony, not certain where this would lead, said, "Um, yes, he's an old acquaintance!"

He turned back to Jean-Claude and said, "I'll talk to you later," and turned to the three and said, "Can I have a word with you three?"

Jean-Claude found all this odd, and even more so when saw them conversing animatedly, occasionally looking back at him, and then returning to their talking. With that, they left just as Karin and Anjou were approaching. He looked at Karin and how covered she was, and asked, "Are you alright?"

"I'm doing better now that the sun is setting," answered Karin, who then turned to Anjou, and said, "How can you deal with it?"

She simply answered, "I have my ways."

"Speaking of sunset," said Jean-Claude, "It's time for us to head back. I am sure that Vincent has had time to go over the photographs and put together arough game plan. Meanwhile, Tony and the three were saying something similar and they headed back to the cathedral to prepare for that night's events.



At the hotel, the A-team got together and went over what they knew. They knew that, despite how big this place was, there were only eight left defending the place. Patrick was able to show the best way to enter the place without detection, and that was a service door twenty yards down the tunnel that was an emergency exit for the outpost. It was hardly ever used now, and it would be the least likely place anyone would think of an assault happening. Vincent then asked about firearms, wondering if that would be overkill for the 14 of them. Jean-Claude then said, "They are going to be packing themselves, and numbers do not matter when they can even the odds by spreading lead. It may not kill us, but it would still hurt and incapacitate if we were hit in the right spots. Yes, bring some pistols, but hold back. We want to do it without firing a shot if possible. We want to hit them without alerting them all at once."

"Is that possible?" asked Gilbert.

"If the Devil's Brigade could capture an entire town and tank battalion without firing a single round, we can too!" answered Jean-Claude.



However, before they arrived, Cleric team was already in the subway. They actually took a chance by entering the subway through a little used terminal, and went down the tunnels towards this spot, dodging the trams as they made their way along. Once they were in position, someone asked what they were going to do. "Nothing," was the answer given by Hartley. They all looked askance at this, and he then said, "If all goes well, they will do the work for us. I want to see them in action, what they can do, if we can trust and use them. In truth, we're not necessarily working with or for them, because we are contracted by the Vatican. They are the one's asking for the help. I grant you, they are looking to aid the Clan, because, if they can remove this cancer without getting their hands dirty, they would be pleased as punch. However, they also asked us for help. Still, since they wanted not to seem to aid those that should have been their foes, everything we do is under wraps, but it also makes me suspicious of the leeches' intent. If it gets ugly, we'll step in."

They were stationed by the exit that their intelligence had shown was hardly used, and therefore, it would be the best place for an insertion. They only hoped that the leeches figured this one out.



After about 20 minutes and several trams, they came. Yet, they actually caught Cleric Team by surprise. They were all dressed as ninjas; save for the large one they had to assume was the Daywalker. It caught Hartley's attention even when he was able to spy the Marine Corps saber underneath the black trench coat the Daywalker wore. What also caught them by surprise was how quietly and quickly they moved in. It was almost as if they had materialized and then started to act. The Cleric Team could be that swift in their way, but they were impressed with the efficiency in which they acted. The Daywalker seemed to be consulting quite a bit with the one that seemed to have the most Oriental looking eyes. The lock was swiftly picked, and they filed in quickly and carefully, checking their danger corners, and everyone covering everyone else's moves. Hartley then said, "Okay, now we follow. We can't watch them out here."

Jean-Claude and Hondo knew that the place was a bit more sizeable than the other they first faced. Therefore, they needed to take their time and ensure that they did not lose themselves. It was decided to first take the points that were defended on the perimeter, and then they would work their way in. Once to the outer perimeter, they began to work their way around. They holstered their pistols and drew their blades instead. Jean-Claude saw the lights in the hallway, and he knew that they had to go. He then signed to everyone to throw stars at the lights and take them out. Within a matter of seconds, the hallway went dark. Before any of the men could scream, using their vampiric speed and the advantage of being able to see in the dark, they whisked by, killing the men with one swift turn of a tonto. They overlapped each other as they made their way along, repeating the process as they went. The perimeter was secure, and five of the eight were dead without a sound, save for the breaking lights. The remaining three ignored this at first, but when it started to happen frequently and all around them, they began to grow very suspicious. They retrieved their small arms, but they were not really sure for what they prepared. Unfortunately, they were not ready for what happened next. A-team had just begun their room to room search and burst in to catch their foe flat footed. Before they could fire, two of them were sliced to ribbons. The third managed to fire, but he missed. With all the speed of Bat Masterson, Jean-Claude drew and emptied the clip into the remaining one. "Alright, the place is secure," said Jean-Claude, "Everyone break into pairs and search the place for intelligence."

As it went, Karin and Anjou went together. After looking around, they came to a room with a few desks and some filing cabinets-pay dirt! Swiftly, the two of them started to search, and they were able to come away with more information on numbers of people involved, base locations, with what they were equipped, and other useful information. However, as Karin searched, she could not help but notice the brown leather covered book on one of the desks. She picked it up, and the title was The Holy War against the Scourge. It was authored by one Leo Garibaldi, with whom she was not familiar. Thinking for a moment, she figured that there might be something to it, and took that as well.



Once everyone returned, they laid out the information, and they were preparing to go over the things they found. However, Jean-Claude's hair rose on his neck, and his instincts told him they were not alone. Enhancing his own vampiric abilities, he sensed it, and like lightning turned around and snatched the outstretched and armored arm. He then flung its owner across the room into the wall. Two more followed, but he also had them on their backs with judo flips. They had dealt with speedy foes before, but they had never seen anything like this. However, the first man he had thrown was already up and across the room with a swift kick to the chops, completely catching Jean-Claude off guard. This time, he flew into the wall, looked at his foe that was now looming over him, and said to him, "You know, that actually almost hurt!"

Jean-Claude was up in a flash, going for his torso, but Hartley anticipated this and was already moving out of the way. It was then that Jean-Claude drew the saber and prepared. "What, no gun," exclaimed Hartley.

"This finds chinks in armor better," said Jean-Claude. He was about to strike, but a female voice then said, "Stop! How about you test yourself against me?"

Hiryuu stepped in, broadsword ready to go. Hartley stepped aside, and Jean-Claude said, "However you want it!"

What everyone else was surprised with was that no one was moving in on them. They stood ready to fight in case. In the meantime, they engaged. They were moving with a speed that would rival any vampire, except the female was not avampire-her aura did not read this. She was impressed that he could use afencing style like that against a broadsword, and he was impressed that she had the speed to keep up with him. Block and parry, thrust and repost and it seemed neither could get the better of one another. Suddenly, they stopped just as quickly as they had begun, with her holding her broadsword an inch from his neck, and he holding the point of his saber one inch from her heart. "It seems we would have shared in death," Hiryuu said as she smiled.

"So, why didn't you kill me?" asked Jean-Claude, genuinely nervous standing so close to death, and she said, "I was about to ask you the same question."

Slowly, the two of them backed up, and Hiryuu said, "So, you do have honor."

"Your aura did not read that of evil," answered Jean-Claude, "And by the way that the rest of your force waited outside, if you had wanted to, you could have caught us all flat-footed and wiped us out. You're not the Inquisition, because there is no way they could get a hold of the tech I see before me. Ialso know that you are not a foe-yet."

"I also sense that, if you were like any of the myths, you would have done far worse to these men than what you did," reasoned Hiryuu, "You were swift in the kill, not looking to torture your foe, but looking to end it quickly. Normally, myth would have said that you should have fed on them, and you did not. You are not evil either."

He then gave a proper sword salute, she returned in kind, and they sheathed their blades. Everyone then relaxed their stance as the rest of Cleric Team entered, removing their helmets so that they could see each other's faces. "If you are not the Inquisition," said Jean-Claude, "then just who in the name of common sense are you, and what do you know about us?"

She then sat on a table and said, "Take a seat and relax, everyone-this could take a bit."