Modern/Delta Green - The Beginning of the End (COMPLETED)

[talien]

Black Guard: Part 1 – Going Gray

Ms. Gray’s home was in the west side of Rosetta on a cul-de-sac containing only five homes. A concrete sidewalk connected each home along the cul-de-sac.

The Gray home was a single story, red-bricked home with an attached garage. There was a large pecan tree in the front yard and several oak and pine trees shading the back yard. The backyard had a seven-foot wooden privacy fence. Although Ms. Gray had rose bushes and colorful annuals bordering her home, they were neglected and many had withered. Very little traffic occurred in the area. Lisa drove a new, white minivan, which she parked in the driveway.

Hammer pulled the SUV up. “Maybe we should stay in the car,” he said with a frown.

Archive blinked. “Why?”

“This isn’t our case. I don’t want to freak the poor woman out.”

“You?” asked Jim-Bean with a smirk. “Intimidating?” He switched to a Texas drawl. “Why I do declare I’ve never heard – I say I’ve never heard – of such a thing!”

“That sounds like Foghorn Leghorn,” said Hammer.

He got out of the car, if only to get away from Jim-Bean, and followed Archive to the front door.

The front door opened and a tall lady, wearing jeans, a pink blouse and tennis shoes, greeted them. She was an attractive blond with green eyes and appeared to be in her early thirties. At her thigh clung a sickly, young girl, probably seven or eight years old. The girl’s eyes were ringed with dark circles as if she had not slept well in a long while.

“Hi, I’m Lisa Gray,” said Lisa, shaking Archive’s hand.

“Joe Fontaine,” said Archive. “These are my associates, Jim and Kurt.”

“Thanks for coming. Please, come in.”

After offering tea and coffee in the kitchen, she led them back to the living room. Her daughter, Marissa, tiredly curled up against her mother. Her son, Matthew, was in the room but asked to be excused.

“Thank you so much,” began Lisa. “I’ve tried everyone and everything. It’s been two months, and no one has been able to help me, not even Magnus. Marissa woke me up early one morning, screaming that the men were here to take her…to kill her. She was very upset and it took me hours to calm her down. She missed school that day and I stayed home with her. At first I believed she had a nightmare, but it turned into our nightmare. She has awoken every night since, screaming. She describes horrible things. People skinned alive, purposely burned, and mounds of dead bodies. She refuses to sleep. She’s scared the dark man will take her.”

Lisa paused to sob, covering her face with a lace kerchief.

“Go on,” said Archive, encouraging her.

Lisa looked out the window and took a deep breath.

“The third night, I slept in her room with her. The hall clock had struck a quarter to midnight and I lay awake next to her. A few minutes passed and she started shaking in her sleep. I moved to calm her when I noticed a shadow. It stood taller than a man, maybe seven feet, and solid black. It passed the bed and moved toward the door. When I screamed, it disappeared. I’ve wondered how long it stood over me… It still does. From that night on, we’ve all felt a …presence…in this house. Then, things started moving— shoot, some things started flying! Dishes flew out of the cupboard and crashed onto the floor. Lights and electrical appliances come on and go off on their own. Banging noises, it’s too much!”

She hid her face behind the kerchief once more.

“Matthew hasn’t had the dreams, but he’s been talking. Talking to someone nobody else can see. He says her name is Amy, and that she’s scared. He also says that the dark man will hurt them. I don’t know who he means by “them,” but I’m praying it’s not us. I have taken the kids to a motel, but the ghost follows us. We can’t escape it! Please, help us. I’m so scared.”

“There, there ma’am,” said Jim-Bean, patting her hand.

Archive didn’t look at the others for permission. “We’ll stay overnight and get to the bottom of this.”

Lisa sniffed. “Thank you so much.” She put one hand on Archive’s. “Magnus said you were a good man.”

Archive gave her a weak smile. “Do you mind if we look around? That might help.”

“Of course, of course,” said Lisa, rising. “Please, help yourself to anything in the fridge. I’ll get the kids ready for bed.”

Jim-Bean smiled and nodded. He continued to speak in his Texan drawl. “If there’s a problem, I’m sure my colleagues and I will be able to get to the bottom of it.”

Lisa nodded and left the room with Marissa.

Hammer looked askance at Jim-Bean. “Are you going to talk like that all night? Because if you are, I can’t take you seriously.”

 

[talien]

Black Guard: Part 2 – The Book of Matthew

Matthew’s bedroom was covered in toys, especially army toys such as helicopters, planes, etc. Despite the mess, his queen-sized bed was immaculately made, covered with a Star Warrior’s bed cover. Matthew was playing a violent zombie-shooting game on a PlayPal connected to a twenty inch television that rested on a cherry wood dresser.

Jim-Bean and Archive scanned the room, each perceiving it differently.

"You shouldn't play that kid," Jim-Bean muttered, pointing at the PlayPal. "It'll rot your brain."

Archive paused, staring at the closet in the northeast corner of the room. He put one palm on the closet door, eyes closed. “Mind if we look in your closet?”

Matthew shrugged, never taking his eyes off the game. A zombie groaned just before its head exploded.

Archive opened the closet door.

It was a large walk-in closet, littered with several boxes of toys, clothing, and shoes. Archive pushed aside one of the boxes. He pulled out a handmade scroll made from colored paper that was glued in strips to two small pieces of wood.

Lisa looked on apprehensively. “What’s that?”

“It looks a bit like the Torah,” said Archive, unrolling it on Matthew’s bed. “It’s in Hebrew.”

“Don’t look at me,” said Hammer. “I’m not Jewish.”

“Me neither, but I can read it,” said Archive, squinting down at the scroll. “It’s from the Book of Exodus: God heard their groaning, and remembered his covenant. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm, and I will take you for my people. It was a night of watching by the Lord, to bring them out of the land of Egypt. Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today.”

“Who wrote it?” asked Lisa.

“I don’t know,” said Archive. “Has anyone else had access to this room?”

Lisa shook her head. “Matthew, do you know anything about this? Matthew?”

Matthew finally looked up. “No,” he said sullenly. “It was probably the Rabi.”

“Who?” asked Hammer.

“The Rabi. He’s cool.”

Archive sat on the bed. “You mean a Rabbi?”

“Whatever,” said Matthew. “I don’t mind him.”

“Why don’t you mind him?” asked Archive.

“He’s nice. He says that it’s okay. Aimee though…she’s something different.”

“Who’s Aimee?” asked Hammer.

“A little girl. She’s always scared. She wants to go.”

“Go where?” asked Archive.

Matthew shrugged. “There are bad ones too. Some are angry and want to hurt us, but Rabi won’t let them.”

Lisa pulled Archive out of the room. “Is there a ghost in my son’s room?”

Archive chose his words carefully. “More like a guardian spirit,” he said. “This Rabbi, whoever he is, is watching over Matthew.”

Lisa sighed. “About time one of them was useful. I’m going to go put Marissa to bed. Wake me if you need anything.”

Lisa left. Hammer and Jim-Bean joined Archive at the doorway, leaving behind the electronic sounds of exploding zombies.

“So how did that scroll get in there?” asked Jim-Bean.

“Ghosts don’t usually write things without help.”

“Help?” asked Hammer.

“The Rabbi possessed Matthew,” Archive said grimly.

 

[talien]

Black Guard: Part 3 – They’re Here

The grandfather clock in the Gray’s house bonged twelve times.

Archive’s cistron buzzed. He had voice mail.

Archive clicked on the ear bud in his ear. “Any of you guys just leave me a message?”

Positioned at guard posts in the intersecting halls of the house, Hammer and Jim-Bean confirmed they hadn’t.

“Maybe it’s one of your fans,” muttered Hammer. “Since everyone seems to have your phone number.”

“Very funny,” said Archive. “My old cell phone number redirects to the cistron.”

“Maybe you should play it,” said Jim-Bean.

Archive replayed the message with the other agents on the line.

The message crackled with static. But there was a whispered, urgent message within the noise.

“What was that?” asked Hammer.

“I think it said something about finding a body,” said Archive. “Did you hear that?”

“What?” asked Jim-Bean.

“I thought I heard something in the dining room,” said Archive. “I’m going to check it out.”

The dining room was a large, rectangular room. There was a door to the north leading into the kitchen and an open area leading into the entryway to the east. In the center of the room was a beautiful polished wooden table, with place settings and chairs for six. On the west wall was a large glass cabinet with fine china and other knickknacks on the lower shelves. A large impressionist painting of colors and flowers hung on the north wall. The curtains lining the large window to the south were rose-colored and tied to the side, revealing a good view of the front yard and the street beyond.

Archive peered at the glass cabinet. It was curiously bare.

He craned his neck. Dust covered the top of the cabinet, except for perfect round circles, where figurines had been there once before.

Jim-Bean’s voice crackled over the comm. “Hey guys? I just found a bunch of figurines glowing with psychic energy in the little girl’s room.”

 

[talien]

Black Guard: Part 4 – “I Love You…”

Jim-Bean pushed aside a floppy orange-colored doll with wide, staring eyes and a huge grinning maw to reach for the figurines. To his psychic perception they were sparkling with energy. He had no idea how they’d gotten into Marissa’s closet.

Jim-Bean didn’t realize the temperature in the room had plummeted until he caught sight of the sleeping girl’s breath, misting in the air. He shivered.

Banging resounded from the kitchen, breaking the silence within the home. Crashing sounds and breaking glass quickly followed, as the volume of noise increases to deafening levels.

Jim-Bean leapt up and ran into the kitchen, pistol out. Archive and Jim-Bean skidded into the kitchen at the same time.

The cabinets of the kitchen violently opened, slammed shut, and opened again. With each opening, contents of the cabinets crashed out onto the tiled floor.

“What the hell is going on?” shouted Hammer, pointing his pistol everywhere at once.

“Poltergeist!” shouted Archive. “It’s probably connected to the girl—“

The pantry door boomed as it banged shut, and reopened.

Jim-Bean ducked a can of food. Unlike his two companions, he could see the normally invisible poltergeist.

It looks just like Marissa’s doll, only larger. It had two saucer-sized eyes, the black pupils punctuating the white surface. Its maw was in a perpetual expression of slack-jawed stupidity. It had large, bird-like feet and rubbery arms that ended in cartoon-like hands with just three fingers. A short stubby tail wagged behind it as it tore open cabinets and tossed their contents around like a toddler throwing a tantrum.

Forks, spoons and knives leaped from their drawers and struck the opposite walls.

“I’m going to wake up the girl,” said Jim-Bean.

The huge glowing orange head turned to face Jim-Bean, the black pinpricks moving to focus on him. It started a slow, shambling gait after him like a gorilla, picking up speed.

It shambled right through the bar, the drinking glasses above the bar shattering as it passed, sending shards of glass in every direction.

Jim-Bean ran into Marissa’s room and over to her bed. “Wake up kid!” he shouted. The girl didn’t react.

When Jim-Bean looked up the thing was at her doorway. Its features had shifted from benign stupidity to malevolence – a brow it didn’t have before furrowed over its vacant eyes, and it curled newly-formed lips over its huge teeth in rage. The thing grabbed hold of the door.

Jim-Bean shook Marissa. “Wake up!”

He ducked as the door, torn off its hinges, flew through the air. It smashed through Marissa’s bedroom window on the other side of the room.

The orange thing smashed drawer and dolls aside in its fury as it stomped towards Jim-Bean.

There was only one chance. Jim-Bean opened a link between his mind and the girl’s…

And then everything got real quiet.

 

[talien]

Black Guard: Part 5 – Chasing Aimee

Lisa gathered up Marissa at the entrance to the girl’s bedroom, sans door. An incredible force had ripped it right off its hinges.

“What happened?” she asked, half-fearing the answer.

“Whatever it is, it’s gone now,” said Archive.

Lisa peered into the Marissa’s room. “What’s he doing?”

“You’d better get Matthew and go to your bedroom,” said Archive. “Lock the door.”

Lisa, pale with fear, carried Marissa to Matthew’s room. Archive took a deep breath and walked into Marissa’s room.

Jim-Bean was on the floor, playing with Marissa’s dolls, and most specifically a floppy orange little monster.

“Jimmy?” he asked.

Jim-Bean looked up. His pupils were completely white.

“I am…Aimee Resnick,” said Jim-Bean in a soft, feminine voice.

“Aimee?” asked Archive. “Is that who I’m speaking to?”

“I am twelve-years old.”

“What happened to you Aimee?”

“I died in July of 1943.”

“How did you die?”

“I was murdered,” responded Jim-Bean.

“Where?”

“In Bergenvalden. In Poland.”

“Who murdered you?”

“The man in the black robe killed me.”

“What’s his name?”

“His name was Dr. Bitterich.”

“What did he have to gain from killing you?” asked Archive.

“He controls us. There are many of us. He uses us. Gains power from us. He wants…immortality.”

Jim-Bean’s eyes widened. He stood suddenly, his eyes wide with fear. His limbs were rigidly straight and his head snapped back, looking at the ceiling. He appeared to float a foot above the floor, and suddenly his voice screamed out, "HELP US!”

Then he dropped to the floor, unconscious.

 

[talien]

Black Guard: Part 6 – The Doctor is In

Hammer checked in on Matthew, who was sitting up straight in his bed, listening to the ruckus.

“You okay kid?”

Matthew nodded. “Yeah, the Rabbi says it’s okay.”

Hammer edged into the room. “He’s here with you now?”

“Yeah.”

“Can I speak with him?”

Matthew cocked his head, listening. “He says you can speak through me.”

Hammer nodded. “Okay then. Can you ask him his name?”

“Rabbi Joshua,” said Matthew.

“What happened to you, Rabbi?”

“He was…murdered. By the Nas…Naz…”

“Nazis,” said Hammer with a frown.

“Yeah, them. A Doctor. A bad doctor.

“Is the doctor’s spirit here too?”

“Yes.”

“Is that what’s keeping the other spirits here? This doctor?”

“He’s trapped too. There are others who bound him. They want his power. His life.”

“What’s that have to do with the spirits?” asked Hammer.

Matthew listened and nodded. “The ones who bound the doctor want the spirits. They’re the power.”

“How do we stop them?”

Matthew stopped talking.

“Matthew?” asked Hammer.

“He’s gone,” said Matthew.

“Why did he leave?”

Matthew swallowed hard, fear in his eyes. “The doctor. He’s here.”

Lisa arrived shortly thereafter to usher her son out of the room.

 

[talien]

Black Guard: Part 7 – Sphere of Influence

Archive was helping Jim-Bean to his feet when Hammer met them in the kitchen.

“What happened?” asked Hammer, pistols out.

“Jim-Bean was possessed by an entity,” said Archive matter-of-factly. “A victim of somebody called…”

“The Doctor. I know, I heard about him from Matthew.”

“You okay?” asked Hammer.

Jim-Bean shook his head to clear the cobwebs. “I’m fine,” he said. “That was weird.”

“The little girl was…a…” Archive’s eyes were focused on the other side of the room. “…conduit…”

A six-inch diameter ball of energy emerged from the ceiling and floated before them.

Archive stumbled backwards, panting in fear. “Oh Jesus!” he wailed, falling over one of the bar stools. “Get it away from me!”

The orb flashed colors sequentially, going from white to blue to green to red, and back to white.

“Archive,” said Hammer slowly. “Be cool.”

Archive ran towards Lisa’s room.

“What the hell?” asked Jim-Bean. “I mean, it’s a ghost and everything but he was cool about the poltergeist…”

“It’s a sphere,” snapped Hammer, pointing his pistols at the thing. “Remember what happened at the park?”

The orb hovered for an instant, then began to float towards Hammer.

He fired his silenced pistol. The bullet punched a hole in the wall in the far hallway.

Hammer holstered his pistols. “Bullets aren’t going to do anything!”

“I’ll get Archive,” said Jim-Bean.

The sphere followed Hammer, relentlessly tracking his movement. He kicked over a lamp and, tearing the wires out of the connecting end, held them up towards the sphere.

It flashed with incredible heat. Hammer reflexively jumped backwards, dropping the wires. He had intended to electrocute the thing, but it was clear there was no earthly physiology to the sphere.

The orb expanded, flashing so brightly that spots danced before Hammer’s eyes. He stumbled backwards until he hit the hallway wall. The heat was immense as it hovered closer – it was like staring into a miniature sun…

“In the name of the Elder Sign, I repel you!” shouted Archive from across the room.

The sphere shrunk to a pinpoint and flashed through the wall.

“Follow it!” shouted Archive.

Jim-Bean poked his head through the torn doorway of Marissa’s room. “It went through the wall and out into the backyard to the neighbor’s house.”

Archive wiped the seat from his brow. “Then that’s where we’re going.”

Hammer smiled at him. “Good to have you back.”

 

[talien]

Black Guard: Part 8 – House Inspection

The house next door to the Gray’s was a large gray-brick home with an attached two-door garage and a large privacy fence encompassing the back yard. The home was two-stories tall with large bay windows along the front. Very few flowers grew in the yard and tall bushes filled the flowerbeds bordering the home.

Police flyers posted on the doors and windows pronounced that the home was “sealed by order of Judge Joe McCrary of Rosetta, Texas, pending completion of a criminal investigation. Anyone entering the premises without proper authority are in violation of this court-order and may be subject to criminal procedures.”

Jim-Bean approached the door. It was locked. He put one palm on it and concentrated.

The door clicked open as the various locks and chains undid themselves, bending to his will. The door flung itself open to reveal…

Hammer standing there.

“The window was open,” muttered Hammer, shaking his head.

The living room was spacious but sparsely decorated. An entertainment center sat on the north side of the room, just right of a door leading to the guest room. A 19” television set and an impressive surround sound system dominated the entertainment center. Lining the center was a rack of music CDs.

Jim-Bean checked out the audio equipment. “Manufactured in Germany. Go figure.”

A small brown couch and a faded leather recliner were centered on the entertainment center. Only two pictures were hung on the walls. One was a painting of a blonde boy looking upward, and the other was a picture of the 69 Mets following their World Series win. Under the picture was a banner with the caption, “You gotta believe!”

“I didn’t figure Nazis for Mets fans,” said Hammer.

A small fireplace filled the east corner next to the back wall. There was a closet beside the front door and an opening that led to the office on the southern wall. Two archways opened on the northern wall, one leading into a formal dining room, while the other provided access to the kitchen. There was a set of stairs going up in the center of the western wall, and a restroom door as well. A balcony overhung half the room, providing a good view of the front door and the front half of the living room.

“Spread out,” said Hammer. “I want a room by room search. Whatever happened is going on with this Doctor has something to do with this house.”

Jim-Bean caught a glimpse of a figure slipping across the threshold of the stairwell upstairs. He closed his eyes and concentrated.

“This is Nina Juarez,” whispered the GNN reporter into her handheld wireless microphone. “I’m here live in the Nazi house of Frank Manz, also known as Doctor Olaf Bitterich. I’ve searched the rooms here and despite the house supposedly being abandoned there’s evidence that someone, or something, is living here. Curiously, I found a pen with Dr. Revinowitz’s name on it, the forensic examiner on the case. I think I just heard someone enter the home…”

Jim-Bean’s psychic senses were suddenly tugged downwards into the center of the house, as if something was trying to get his attention. He perceived a terrible screeching, like nails on a chalkboard – he didn’t hear it, but he felt it tingle up and down his spine.

Jim-Bean sighed. “It’s that GNN reporter again.”

“How did she get here before us?” asked Archive.

“Juarez!” shouted Hammer. “Get down here!”

Nina slunk her way down the steps. “Agent Grange? What are you doing here?”

“You are in violation of a court order!” snarled Hammer. “Get out of here!”

Nina recovered, holding the microphone up to Hammer’s face. “Why is the government interested in this place, Agent Grange?”

Archive lifted one hand and the microphone began to spark.

Nina threw the microphone down in disgust. “Why does this keep happening!” He took out her tape recorder.

Archive kept his hand up, whispering to himself.

Nina played the tape. All that came out was static.

“Oh come on…”

Archive’s chanting grew louder. He opened his eyes and Nina was compelled to look at him.

Then she bolted for the door.

“What did you do to her?” asked Jim-Bean.

Archive shrugged. “Broke her microphone, degaussed her tape recorder, and scared the crap out of her.”

“So pretty much what we did to her last time,” snorted Hammer.

“I also saw something else. Something’s in the house.” Jim-Bean walked around towards the dining room.

The formal dining room was furnished with a well-polished oval, cherry wood table and with six delicately carved cherry wood chairs. Two large windows overlooked the front yard and the horizontal blinds were currently closed. An archway in the south wall led back into the living room. A second archway provided egress east, leading into the kitchen. A wooden china cabinet with glass doors covered the wall south of the kitchen archway along the east wall. The china cabinet contained a collection of floral patterned plates, cups and saucers.

Jim-Bean tapped the china cabinet and it swung open on an axis, revealing a set of wooden stairs leading down.

“Whatever it is we’re looking for,” said Jim-Bean, his breath misting in the suddenly chill air, “I’m pretty sure it’s down there.”

 

[talien]

Black Guard: Part 9 – You Scream, I Scream…

The stairs led down into extreme darkness. Their flashlights did not illuminate in the normal way, casting a much dimmer light upon their surroundings. The basement was circular, approximately sixty-foot in diameter. Images of demonic figures, and black writing accompanied them. A large pentagram sketched in white chalk covered the center of the room. The chalk glowed as their flashlight beams traced its perimeter.

A tall man sat akimbo inside the center of the pentagram. He appeared to sleep with his arms folded across his chest. He wore jeans and a dark polo shirt. He was barefoot, with a tag on one toe. What was visible of his body was entirely covered by blackened and blistered skin, oily and sticky to the touch.

Thirteen burned red candles ringed the pentagram. On the opposite side of the room was a small rectangular table that held seven small statues.

Hammer drew his pistols. Jim-Bean pulled out his gas mask and put it on top of his head, ready to be flipped down over his face at any moment.

The door at the top of the stairs slammed shut, and the candles spontaneously lit. A demonic voice echoed through the chamber and the man rose…

Hammer fired several bullets into the figure, but he barely reacted.

“He’s already dead,” said Archive. “Mundane weapons won’t work.”

“Well do something about it!”

With a scream, the man reared back and black tar spewed out of his mouth.

Archive pulled out a piece of chalk and penciled an Elder Sign onto the hilt of Hammer’s pistols. Then he made a mark on Hammer’s forehead.

“What’s that for?” asked Hammer.

“It will protect you,” said Archive.

“Oh man that’s disgusting,” said Jim-Bean, transfixed. The vomiting continued, as the tar slowly encompassed the corpse, volume far beyond the capacity of a human stomach to contain.

“What about my gun?” asked Jim-Bean.

“No time,” said Archive. He tossed him a pocket knife. “Use mine.”

“But this is…” Jim-Bean looked down. It was a Glock. “Never mind.”

The tar rose into a roughly humanoid form, rippling like a pool of black mud, exploding in geysers. It expanded to a size larger than an elephant, but only because of its lengthy lumbering limbs and legs did it project size. Its head was topped by a single black oval eye and snout-like mouth, a receptor filled with needle-like teeth similar to the spines of a cactus. The stench of ammonia filled the room. But by far the most awful part of the beast is its shriek, which sounded like a dying animal slaughtered in the most horrific manner. It echoed inside their skulls.

Archive presented the Elder Sign amulet. “In the name of—“

The Screaming Crawler moved with the grace and speed of a leopard. It closed the distance to Archive in one stride, slamming him against the wall with an undulating limb of ooze and claws.

Hammer fired at it, tearing holes of ichor that slowly reformed.

Jim-Bean ran along the other side, raking the altar with gunfire.

“What the hell are you doing?” shouted Hammer. “SHOOT IT!”

“I’m trying to stop the Doctor!” Jim-Bean shouted back. “This has got to be his canopic jars and the source of his—“

The canopic jars exploded, spreading still-preserved organs everywhere. The Screaming Crawler didn’t even flinch.

Hammer ducked and rolled as the thing swiped at him, tossing Archive aside like a discarded toy. The needle-filled proboscis darted at his head.

Jim-Bean turned and fired Archive’s pistol at the thing’s back. It whirled…

Hammer came up from his tumble, firing both pistols. The Screaming Crawler staggered backwards as a chunk of its shoulder splattered across the cavern wall.

“I’m running out of bullets!” shouted Jim-Bean.

Hammer felt to one knee, panting. The thing had raked him with just one claw, but it was a deep gouge. Blood drenched his right arm.

For a split-second the Crawler seemed torn between attacking Jim-Bean and Hammer. Then it made a decision and lunged at Hammer.

All the candles went out.

Hammer stayed focused on where the thing was. It was so big, he couldn’t miss…

He emptied both pistols. The shrieking stopped. Cold ooze lapped around Hammer’s boots.

The candles flared back to life. What was left of the Screaming Crawler was just sludge, puddled in front of Hammer. One more step and the thing would have beheaded him.

“Open up!” shouted someone upstairs. “Police!”

“Always late,” said Jim-Bean, clucking his tongue.

 

[talien]

Black Guard: Part 10 – Dead Rising

There was a slam, and then the door burst open. Two men entered wearing badges on dark black overcoats.

“This is the police,” shouted a blonde man in an overcoat. “Put your weapons down!”

Hammer held up his badge. “I am Counter-Intelligence Field Agent. You put your weapon down!”

“I am Detective Martin and you have no jurisdiction here! This is my crime scene! Now put your weapons down!”

Jim-Bean, who had run over to check on Archive, squinted at the dark-haired man behind Martin. “Revinowitz? What’s the forensic examiner doing here?”

Martin fired his pistol, missing Hammer. Hammer retaliated, but bullets sparked off an invisible force field around them.

“Hammer, get ready!” Jim-Bean flipped down his gas mask over his face. Then he tore a tear gas grenade off his belt and tossed it onto the steps.

Both Revinowitz and Martin were chanting when the tear gas exploded.

Revinowitz’s concentration broke first. He gagged and wheezed, clawing at his eyes.

Hammer raked the steps with gunfire, separating Martin from Revinowitz.

Jim-Bean charged up the steps and grabbed Revinowitz by the hair. With a heave, he tossed him off the edge…

The forensic examiner hit the ground with a crunch. Jim-Bean holstered Archive’s pistol and drew his own Glock. He stalked towards the feebly moving Revinowitz with murderous intent.

A dark shadow coalesced around Revinowitz. He rose up into the air, gasping and clawing at his throat.

“What did you do?” asked Hammer, lowering his pistols. Martin was choking and wheezing on the steps.

Revinowitz’s eyes rolled and his jaw went slack with a shuddering gasp. The dark shadow dropped the crumpled body and floated overhead.

“YES!” it shouted, a roar echoing throughout the home.

Glowing spheres of light rushed into the house from all over, sucked into the black swirling void of the shadow.

“He’s alive!” shouted Martin, tearing back up the steps. “We are doomed! He’ll kill us all!”

Hammer grabbed Archive. “Let’s go!”

Jim-Bean didn’t need any prodding. They ran up the steps after Martin.

Red and blue lights flickered outside. The house was surrounded by police cars.

“This is the police!” shouted a cop on a megaphone. “Come out with your hands up!”

Martin ran heedless to the door, screaming and waving his pistol. “We are doomed—“

“Gun!” someone shouted.

The cops, spooked by the flashing spheres of light entering the house, opened fire, riddling Martin’s body with bullets. He jerked like a marionette on strings and collapsed at the front of Bitterich’s home.

Hammer dropped Archive to the ground. He had dripped blood all the way up the stairs.

“Wake him up,” he told Jim-Bean.

“I’ll try,” said Jim-Bean, slapping Archive’s cheek. “But that thing hurt him pretty bad.”

“If he doesn’t wake up,” Hammer slowly slid to the ground, wincing and holding his bloody arm. “I’m a dead man.”