The Cainite Order

CHAPTER 25

ERREPIDE BATZUK EZ DIRA EKARRI BAKARRIK BIDAIATU BEHAR DA

CHAPTER 25

"Some roads aren't meant to be travelled alone."

The ragtag assault group had split into two different teams. One group would take the box truck and a faster escort car while the second would take the armored personnel carrier. Ezra was able to cast a glamour spell on the APC to make it look like a tractor trailer to avoid any legal trouble. Both convoys took slightly different routes after a few protests. Though when Volkov pointed out they may be followed or worse, seeing as they had just been attacked, the consensus was to follow his plan. Neither path was significantly faster or safer than the other.

Still no one liked the idea of splitting their small force no matter how tactically sound it was. In total they only had twelve combat ready members. The rest of the team was made up of the remnants of the Dover house, Gudahi and Bob the troll. Nineteen brave souls made up this suicide squad. Everyone ready to make the final sacrifice if need be. Yet even with Little Richard belting out Long Tall Sally the silence from the passengers in the APC was deafening for Beathen.

The last year of his life had been a rollercoaster on fire; the last week had added a tornado in the mix. A few days at his first posting had seen the destruction of at least three chapter houses. Then his first real battle after his training was completed. Meeting Volkov and being used as a battery so he could heal. The infiltration and fubar exit from Wakahisa's building and then the explosive battle that almost killed him outside the chapter house. Then there was the latest addition to a growing list of complications, Ash. He hadn't expected to fall as hard for her as he did, but whoever plans to fall in love? Gods what was he thinking? Now more than ever he needed to focus on the mission ahead of him and not on his burgeoning feelings for her. He was glad to have been put in separate groups during the drive so they could both focus.

"You look like a man who needs a vacation." joked Ruaraidh.

After a few seconds, Beathen's focus finally came back to the present. "Got lost in thought." he replied.

"So long as you don't try and go back any time soon." he choked through a pained expression as he adjusted in his seat.

"Look, I know we're short on man power right now but is it a good..."

"If you ask me one more time if I can do this I'll kick you're arse myself! Besides it's the rest of ya who ave the easy job!" he barked loudly over the sounds of the APC "All you have ta do is plant a wee bomb. I get to kick a few beasties in the teeth!"

The rest of the occupants chuckled at his bravado. They all knew the wounds he had suffered a few hours ago had lowered his odds of survival greatly. None of them had any misconceptions about how this was going to go. If any of them survived to tell the Order what had happened it would be a miracle. That was the main reason Gott had left as detailed a brief as he could in the short time he had telling whoever found it what had happened thus far and were to find what was left of them.

"We're fifteen minutes out!" chirped Ezra over the intercom.

Before any more could be said, Volkov stood up placing one hand on the overhead handhold and the other behind his back. The assembled members of the Order sat waiting for what most hoped would be a rousing speech about how he had been through worse and they would survive.

"I have been a member of this Order for many years now. I've been on many missions that had no exit plan, and on occasion found that I should not have survived. That is how I became a Reaper. The Enemy we face now is very strong and well-fortified. That is why I think now would be a good time to continue a tradition that has been passed down by many generations of my people." he said as he pulled out an old dust covered bottle wrapped in ancient looking paper.