9 comments/ 30731 views/ 26 favorites The Pandora Effect By: boneams This is the continuing adventures of Kevin Dvorska and the rest of SEAL Team Two Alpha fire squad. Just a small disclaimer, some scenes are pretty graphic here and in following posts. Don't say I didn't warn you, LOL. Thanks to all who helped with the storyline. Now on a sad note, since I do write about my SEAL friends, this series is dedicated to the memory of two Navy SEALs who gave their last measure of courage to save others. And now, 'The Pandora Effect'. * Their people will become like walking corpses, their flesh rotting away. Their eyes will shrivel in their sockets, and their tongues will decay in their mouths. On that day, they will be terrified, stricken by the Lord with great panic. They will fight against each other in hand-to-hand combat. Zechariah 14:12 0300 hrs, just outside Krasnoselivk, Ukraine. There was a slight chill in the air as the four-man S.A.D. team made their way slowly forward. As members of the highly secret unit known as the Special Activities Division, they trained constantly to be ghosts. The paramilitary arm of the CIA composed of members from all Special Operations Groups, Army Delta Force, Green Berets, Force Recon Marines and Navy SEALs. Aaron Lancaster led the team to the edge of the brush-covered culdesac. The ridge was still two hundreds yards above them on all three sides. He didn't like the idea of heading to the suspected hideout from this area, but it provided the best coverage for a silent approach. "Ok everyone, let's get up this hill. I don't like being down here. As soon as we get to the ridgeline, I want Jake to set up the hide and cover our exit. Wade, Randy and I will take down the tangos." "Just one question Aaron," Jake Ramby asked. "What is it Jake." "Are you buying the beer when we're done?" "Just cover the exit Jake and worry about the booze when we're done." Aaron stared at his sniper with distain. His constant joking was getting on the team leaders nerves. The four operatives moved towards the small trail heading to the top. They cautiously moved in two man teams, as they scanned their assigned areas. Each of them had fifteen years experience in Army Delta Force, along with another four in the S.A.D. They went about the climb in a business like manner, but were unaware of the danger that awaited them from above. The massive brown werewolf watched as the men ascended the trail. She knew it would take them less than an hour to reach the ridge at their pace. Quietly, she raised herself up on her four large paws, then went to inform the others. The group knew someone would come looking for them again, but the news didn't deter them. There wasn't a human alive that would stand up to the damage they could deliver. Rashida Turk moved quickly to the small house where the other two members slept. When she got closer to the back door, she changed to her human form. Now that she was naked, the cold air hit her. Her olive colored skin rippled with chills, and her small nipples stood out firmly. Her shoulder length brown hair fell across her high cheekbones, and she tossed her head to clear her vision. Rashida entered the two-room house and moved to the bedroom. Her mate, Bashir Haddad, slept naked just for this occasion. When she nudged his shoulder, he turned and glared at her. He was sure he told her not to wake him unless it was an emergency. "I thought I told you a few hours ago woman not to..." "They're here Bashir, four men starting at the bottom of the ridge." Bashir jumped out of bed and moved quickly to the living room. He kicked his teammate, Mansur Abla, in the leg, startling the large muscular man. When he moved towards the front door, he grabbed a bottle of water and splashed his face. Shaking the cold water off, he turned to Rashida. "Could you tell who they are?" "No, but I know they're some kind of paramilitary members, maybe Americans." "It doesn't matter. Mansur, I want you to take the left side, I'll head down the front." "Where should I go my love?" Rashida shivered slightly. She wished they would hurry up. She was more comfortable in her werewolf form. "Just off to the right side of me. Take out the last man as he's watching his friends die." When they moved outside, the three Lebanese terrorists changed to their preferred form and headed off. As the largest wolf in the group, Bashir easily moved his massive black form to the ridge. Even before he reached it, he could smell the human's putrid bodies. Aaron Lancaster held his MP-5SD at an angle. With it pointed at the ground, he knew he could bring it to bear quickly if needed. At three in the morning, he didn't expect many people to be out walking around. He scanned the trail ahead and noticed some prints in the soft dirt. He stopped and knelt down on one knee. The others followed suit when they saw Lancaster stop. When Aaron didn't get up right away, Randy Hataway moved up slowly. "What the hell is it, Aaron?" "Look at this paw print, Randy. You ever see anything like that before?" Randy Hataway was famous among the operatives for his tracking ability. When he looked at the large print, he ran his fingertips over the impression. Growing up in the hills of Tennessee, he thought he'd seen every conceivable print an animal could make. "My first thought is a bear, but not that damn big. It might be a day old or less, so lets hope what ever made this is long gone." "Keep everyone moving, Randy. I wanna get off of this..." Aaron Lancaster spoke his last words as the massive black werewolf removed his head with one swing. Hataway had mere seconds to react. He swung his weapon up, blinking his eyes through his blood soaked face. He tried to train the muzzle on the beast, but it was moving too fast. The beast spun on his back paws and then rammed his fur-covered body into his. He died almost instantly as the broken ribs pierced his heart. Wade Wilson and Jake Ramby watched in horror as their two teammates were killed with little effort. Wade got off a three round burst into the werewolf's side, while Jake tried to bring his SR-25 sniper rifle to bear on his target. They didn't see the dark brown werewolf to the left. The two S.A.D. operatives came to a stop twenty feet away. Wade tried to bring his weapon up, but his broken collarbone and separated shoulder wouldn't allow him. Jake Ramby screamed out as he watched his friend's intestines spill out onto the cold dirt. Crawling away, he dragged his broken legs behind him. He didn't get far as a smaller werewolf leapt from ten feet away and landed all eight hundred pounds of her body squarely on his spine. Maybe it was more humane that he was now paralyzed, as she clamped her large canine teeth into Jakes neck and pulled. Large amounts of blood and torn flesh covered the once quiet ridge. She was about to eat her fill of the dead human, but the loud growl behind her got her attention. She angrily turned to Bashir and showed her teeth to her mate. He knew that his companions wanted to feed but he needed information first. Changing into his human form, he walked slowly to the female wolf. "Don't show your teeth to me woman," Bashir said, as he put pressure on his wounds. In the blink of an eye, Rashida and Mansur transformed to human form and stood up. As Bashir stared at the lovely woman, his cock started to rise. He always became sexually excited after a kill. This time was no exception as he gazed upon her palm-sized breasts. "It's just that I'm hungry, Bashir. Why did you stop me?" "You can eat later. Right now, I want both of you to check the bodies for any identification. I'm getting tired of humans hunting us down, and we still don't know who's behind it." The three of them checked all four bodies and found nothing. None of them carried wallets or any identifying tags. Mansur was about to quit searching, when he noticed a small tattoo on the arm of Randy Hataway. "Bashir, I think I found something." When Bashir bent down to take a look, he immediately knew who they were. "That's an American Delta Force tattoo. I studied their tactics at the camp last year, and I remember seeing that tattoo." "Should we bury them like the others?" "No I have a better idea. You two eat your fill while I tend to my wounds. After that, leave them here. I want the Americans to know what happens when they come searching for us." "What happens if the Major doesn't come through for us?" Mansur asked. "She'll deliver the devices. After that, we kill her to ensure her silence." Bashir let the two other werewolves feed, as he returned to the house. They would leave in the morning to meet up with the Soviet Major and collect the devices. Once they had them, nothing would be able to stop the destruction of the human race. Werewolves would once again rule the world. The start of a new order would begin with Rashida Turk. ********** Gabriel walked up and stared at the dark haired winged angel. He was looking down through the rolling white mist with a concerned look on his face. It was his assignment to watch for any intrusive behavior from the fallen one. "Are there any updates?" "No Sir. I thought the four men stood a good chance on solving this for us, but unfortunately they were unsuccessful." "Remember, you are not to interfere unless she does." "I understand Sir, but at what time are we going to intercede and stop this from going further?" "We can not interfere with the path they take. We can only watch and hope for the best. Keep me informed if she becomes more active in the events." Basement level 4, CIA Headquarters, Langley Virginia. Tanner Eason sat quietly as he stared at the six monitors scattered along the walls. Just below and in front of him, the technicians furiously typed information and transferred different displays to the larger screens. Picking up his coffee, he took a long drink as he tried to remain calm. It wouldn't be professional for the Director of the CIA to blow up at his subordinates. Seated next to him, Frank Duncan chatted quietly on his headset to an unknown satellite operator. As Director of Operations, it was his responsibility to coordinate the bird's flight path. He roughly pushed the lighted button on his console and tossed his headset down. "They still haven't figured out the problem with the bird yet. The SX-171 should be in position in another twenty minutes," Duncan said. "Frank, I don't want to tell you how to do your job, but this op is under some scrutiny. That's why we have the birds flying over the op this time. Why didn't you plan for loss of communications?" "I did Tanner, but the flight paths were an hour apart. What did you want me to do, fly them right next to each other at two hundred miles up?" "Okay, okay calm down. I just don't want to lose another team trying to track down three fucking tangos. I don't need to remind you that Garrett is getting pissed over the losses." The mention of the S.A.D director made him nervous. Garrett Brown was a man with thirty years experience as a Special Forces Operator. After retiring from the Green Berets, he was recruited into the Special Activities Division as an operator. After moving up quickly, he made sure people in the Agency knew not to cross him. "With all due respect to Mr. Brown, the insertions have gone off without a hitch. I think his operators are just getting sloppy. We are talking about only three Lebanese, one of whom is a damn female. We know she's not calling any shots." "You can tell him that when he gets back from DC. Whoever is calling the shots Frank, they're making trained operators disappear like a fart in the wind. You're the Operations guy, do you have an answer for that?" Tanner Eason asked sarcastically. Suddenly, the green flashing comm button caught his attention and he grabbed his headset. After a brief conversation, he quickly looked up at the center monitor. The image was grainy, but he could make out the area just outside Krasnoselivk. "Can they clean that up, Frank?" "They're working on it." Tanner Eason leaned forward a bit and squinted at a small ridgeline. When the image cleared, he saw the forms of four bodies lying around a small dirt path to the top. Frank Duncan saw the bodies also and spoke quickly into the mike. When the image zoomed in, Tanner's blood turned cold. "What in God's name did that?" he thought as he picked up a phone with shaking hands. "Get me Garrett Brown right away." Small café on the outskirts of Sevastopol, Ukraine. Major Nadia Karpov surveyed the small crowd around her. She was far enough away from the Soviet Navy base that her identity was unknown. Now, she was just another pretty female sitting alone and drinking her wine. Some of the men that passed by gave her long glances. At just over five feet tall, with flowing black hair, her beauty was captivating. She knew men wanted her not just for her lovely face and dark bedroom eyes. Her slim waist and small breasts made an inviting package for sex. What they didn't realize was, she wasn't just another pretty Soviet officer, she was a biological weapons expert. Nadia was constantly at odds with her superiors. For the last ten years, she argued the point of testing her work on humans, maybe small villages in eastern Russia. Every one of her requests were met with the same answer, to much fear of retaliation from the Americans. As far as she was concerned, why design something so pure, so deadly, so ingenious, just to lay dormant in canisters. She took another sip of her wine as she waited for her buyers. With their help, she could now finally see what effects her work would have on unsuspecting humans. The amount of money she was to receive, would last her two life times. With the Soviet Union now dissolved, this was the best chance to start a new life somewhere away from the crippled military. "Excuse me Miss, would you like another glass?" Nadia's thoughts of a new life disappeared as the server held the bottle of wine near her glass. "Yes, thank you. If it's not too much trouble, could you bring me a menu. My companions are late and I'm getting hungry." "Right away Miss," he said and went back inside. Nadia checked her watch and then looked out to the busy street. "They should have been here by now. Maybe they didn't get my message." Suddenly, a cab pulled up across the street. Two muscular men got out and surveyed the area, then a female exited the back seat and moved behind one of the men that held a large briefcase. They were all dressed in western clothing, but Nadia knew from their looks these three were Lebanese. Checking the street once more, they crossed and headed straight for the café. When they reached the table, Nadia nodded her head and motioned for them to sit down. The way the woman looked at her, made her nervous. It wasn't one of jealousy, it was more of a disgusting stare. She understood women found her threatening because of her looks, but this was something else. "I was starting to think you didn't get my message. Did you have trouble finding the café?" "Meeting out here in the open was not part of our agreement. I don't like it when plans change, to much room for error," Bashir told her in an annoyed tone. "If you found it an inconvenience, forgive me, but you must understand the risks I have to take. To put it bluntly, this isn't candy that you're buying. You could be with Interpol or maybe working with some other agency. I thought it..." "I'm not paying you to think, and for a good reason. Why would you make the delivery in plain sight of everyone?" Just then, the server arrived with Nadia's menu. "Sorry for the delay, the bar is getting busy." "That's fine. Would any of you like something to drink?" Nadia asked the three Lebanese. "No. I want to conclude this business and be on our way," Bashir said sternly. "Give me a few moments to look the menu over," she told the server. "I don't mean to be rude, but where are the canisters?" Rashida asked when they were alone again. "Somewhere close by. When I verify the money, I will give you the location of the canisters." Bashir leaned forward and glared angrily at Nadia. "Now you listen to me woman. I don't know what kind of game you're playing, but I'm not amused." Nadia picked up her glass of wine and took a long sip. After setting it down, she turned her dark eyes towards the irritated leader. She understood what kind of man he was, but he was unaware of her ability. "Before we go any further with our business, let's get something clear up front. You need me more than I need you. I can move them to any number of buyers other than you. I understand in your country women are subordinate, but if you ever talk down to me again, I'll test the virus on you instead." "How do we know the canisters are where you say they are?" Mansur asked. "You don't. However, doing it this way, I get some assurance of my safety. If we met at your place, what would stop you from just killing me and taking the canisters anyway? You agree to leave one of you behind with the payment, while the others check on the canisters." "I don't like this one bit, but you're leaving me little choice. Rashida will stay here with you, and I'll phone the café when we have the canisters in our possession," Bashir told her with a bit of resentment in his voice. "That will be fine with me. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to see my money." Bashir pulled the briefcase up and placed it on the table. Nadia Karpov looked around the café, and when she thought it was safe, opened the case. She was amazed at the sight of three million American dollars. She smiled to herself, and then shut the case. When she tried to pull it back to her, Bashir grabbed it in his powerful grip. "I think we'll let Rashida keep this. Once we verify delivery, she'll give you the case." "Good, we can have a little girl chat while you're gone." "I think there's something you better know right now. If he calls up and reports the canisters aren't there, not even you're dentist will be able to recognize the body," Rashida told her sternly." "Here's the location." Nadia handed Bashir a slip of paper with an address on it and the number to the café. "How far away is this?" Bashir asked. "Ten minutes by taxi, I wanted to keep them close. There are four of them there, each one has forty vials in it. You can open the lid to check them, but after that, you'll need a special mask and gloves to handle them. If not, it's my belief that you'll have a few days to live. After that, well, let's just say you won't look human anymore." "What damage can I expect from one vial?" "One vial placed in traffic and then broken, would decimate an area of about ten square kilometers, given the right wind conditions, of course. The objective is to infect the population and then let them spread it for you. I think you'll be more than satisfied with the results." "Rashida, wait for my call, then give her the money. If the deal goes bad, well, use your imagination when you settle the account." Bashir Haddad and Mansur Abla left the two women alone and hailed a taxi. After they were gone, Nadia picked up her glass and leaned back in her chair. She had a smile on her face, as the thought of a new life somewhere else filled her mind. This was going to be a good day for her. After all this time, she could test her deadly virus on something other than mice. She then tilted her head up and stared at the bright clouds that floated across the blue sky. "On the seventh day you rested. Now watch as all that hard work comes crashing down around you." Special Activities Division Director's office, Langley Virginia. Garrett Brown flipped through the numerous photos of his mangled team. He thought the SX-171's camera took surprisingly good photos of the area while in position over the site. The damage his team endured looked extensive, and he wondered how long they stayed alive. His thoughts on the photos had to wait, as the phone started ringing. The Pandora Effect Ch. 02 1600 hrs, Adam Dawson's house, six miles from the base. Adam Dawson opened the front door to his house in Chesapeake. As he walked in, Garrett Brown followed him while studying the inside. The décor was modest with one wall in the living room adorned with Navy memorabilia the SEAL collected over the years. Throwing his keys on the end table, Adam turned to Garrett. "Need a beer, Garrett?" "Does a one legged duck swim in circles?" Adam laughed at the reply and went to the kitchen. There he found his wife Kristine cutting vegetables for the soup that was simmering. He walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her slender waist. She quickly stop cutting and spun around in his muscular arms. "Welcome home Sailor. I thought I'd make some homemade soup for dinner tonight." "Um – can that sit for a bit? I need your help in the living room with something important." Kristine looked into her husband's eyes. "Oh you want to do it in the living room again? You have some strange ideas, Lieutenant." "I have company out there Sweetheart. What I need is your opinion on something. The kind of something you're not supposed to see," Adam said as he kissed her forehead. He grabbed two beers and headed into the living room with Kristine following close behind. As they entered, they saw Garrett Brown looking at Adams pictures and awards on the wall. When he grabbed the beer from Adam, he studied Kristine carefully. "So you're the best CIA Intelligence Officer ever huh." Garrett said with a hint of sarcasm. "I don't know who you are, but I do two things really well – intelligence is the other one," she replied as she moved closer to Adam. "Kristine, I'd like you meet Garrett Brown. He's with the S.A.D. and he has a small problem." "Oh you're with the agency? Well what you need is a frontal lobotomy. That should take care of all your problems." Garrett studied her closely, while Adam just smiled and sipped his beer. He liked the fact she had a quick response, not many Intel Officers did. He took a long pull off his beer, and then walked over to the couch. Sitting down, he pulled his briefcase over and opened it. When he pulled the folder out, he placed it on the coffee table. "Given your last comment Mrs. Dawson, I sense you have little use for the agency anymore. That means they pissed you off too. Why don't you sit down and I'll let you in on the situation." "With all due respect Mr. Brown, I don't give a fuck what your problem is. Even if I did help you, you morons wouldn't follow my advice. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kick your ass out right now." Garrett looked at Adam who was chuckling softly. "Is she always like this, or is it just when you have company?" "I told you we'd help. I didn't say anything about it being easy. Kristine, sit down and just look at the pictures. You'll just have to trust me on this one baby." Kristine took a seat to the side of Garrett Brown. She had an angry look on her face as she pulled the folder over to her. When the first photo appeared, she caught her breath. The mangled body of Aaron Lancaster was in plain sight, she silently cursed herself for even opening the folder. "Mrs. Dawson, I know the photos are disturbing, but I really need to know what I'm up against. I don't want to lose any more teams." "How – how many..." "To be honest three so far, two of mine and one British team. This team was led by Aaron Lancaster, he was my finest team leader and a very dear friend." Kristine looked up with teary eyes at her loving husband. She knew he was going to be involved and what he was up against again. The damage was unmistakable. He was going to have to track down and kill another werewolf. "Honey, he needs our help. I know how you feel, but you also know Kevin and I are the only ones who can do this." "You're insane! We went through this in Predjama and now you're asking me to help do it again?" Garrett looked at her with a puzzled expression. "Mrs. Dawson what happened in Predjama? What could inflict this kind of damage? This is the only team we have ever found after the insertion, the rest are still missing." "I – I don't – all I ever saw – I don't..." Adam could see the hesitation in his wife's eyes. "Garrett, I want to make it perfectly clear, I have no evidence to back up what I'm about to say." "I understand. All I want is some answers." "Your team was killed by some kind of a mutant wolf. It's large and very deadly, with lightning fast reflexes. We killed one in Predjama, but trust me, you won't find that in any report I ever filled out." "You're saying some kind of wolf did this? What the hell was one doing in that part of the Ukraine?" "The question is, what the hell was one of your teams doing in the Ukraine?" Adam asked quickly. Garrett looked at the Navy SEAL hard for a moment, then reached into his briefcase again. He pulled out a brown binder and opened it. The director of the S.A.D. placed three photos on the coffee table over the bloody pictures of his team. "These are the people we're going after. The weird thing is, every time we get close, we lose a team. It's like they know we're coming, no matter what we do to prevent it." Kristine picked up the picture of Rashida Turk. "What do you want them for? Are they planning some sort of terrorist attack?" Garrett remained quiet. He didn't know how much information he could give out before it became a security concern. Adam reached forward and picked up the other two photos. He knew Garrett was hesitant, but maybe he could coax a small piece of information to put it all together. "Who are these two morons?" Adam asked. "The more muscular one is Bashir Haddad. We're pretty sure he's the leader of the group, the other is Mansur Abla. The lone female is Rashida Turk, but from what we have on her, she's just as deadly as the men." "Are they Iraqi or Saudi?" Kristine asked. "Actually Mrs. Dawson, they're Lebanese. They have no ties to any known terrorist group and we think after training they started their own little faction." "So – you have three terrorist, highly trained, and freelancing. I'm thinking they want a nuke so they can make a statement. That's why they're in the Ukraine, possibly Sevastopol or Kherson." "Very good Adam, you're smarter than I took you for," Garrett said, then he reached into his briefcase again, retrieving another set of photos. Adam scanned the photos and then handed some of them to Kristine. The further he went, he realized he was looking at just one woman. There were shots of her entering an apartment building, going shopping, but one caught his attention. She was wearing a white lab coat and checking in at a security checkpoint. The building in the background however is what he was studying. Other than one door, it was totally sealed off from the outside world. No windows or vents on any of the cement walls. It did have six large air conditioning units on the roof. Adam handed the photo to Kristine, and then sat back to gage her reaction. It took just a few moments of looking at the picture to figure out what it was. She looked up at Adam and shook her head. She couldn't believe her husband was thinking about going after these people. Kristine handed the photo back to Garrett Brown. "They're not after nukes, and if that's not a bio research lab, then it's the most secure ice cream parlor in the world." "Who's the hot chick in the photos Garrett?" Adam asked but got a stern look from his wife. "That is Major, Nadia Karpov. She's a biological weapons expert who was top in her field during the cold war. After the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991, she stayed on to oversee the destruction of all bio agents." "So you think these three are after Karpov to get their hands on a bio weapon?" Kristine asked. "We started picking up traffic between her and Haddad. We suspected something was up, so the agency got an operative inside to monitor her. The operative found out she stole four canisters and we waited for the sale. You can imagine our displeasure when we found out he lost her a few days ago," Garrett said as he placed all the Intel back into his briefcase. Adam dropped his head in his hands. He couldn't believe how incompetent the Central Intelligence Agency was. In the past, his SEAL team was brought in to clean up their messes and he was getting tired of it. "You ok, Adam? I know this is a lot to take in," Garrett said. "Yeah, it's just that I've heard this story before. You would have thought by now the agency had a handle on keeping track of people, even more so when bio weapons are concerned." There was a knock on the door, and Garrett immediately moved his hand to his back, palming the Siq Sauer P226. Adam stood up and approached the door cautiously. He normally didn't have to, but with the kind of Intel in the living room, he wasn't taking any chances. As he placed his eye to the peephole, he saw Kevin and Jake Newton. "Take it easy Garrett. I don't think you want to shoot our point men," Adam said as he opened the door "Hey Boss, everyone knows about tonight and they're ready. How's your day going so far?" Kevin asked as he and Jake entered the room. "Let's just say I'm getting too old for this job. Come on in guys, you know where the beer is, Kevin," Adam replied. Kevin, headed for the kitchen as Jake took a seat next to his director. He quickly studied Kristine whose was looking at him intently. She had the look of displeasure on her face, it made Jake a bit nervous. From the conversation at the Officer's Club, he knew she was prior CIA, but looked more like a trophy wife. "How do you do, I'm Jake Newton. You have a very nice house Mrs. Dawson," he said politely. "Thank you Jake, but it seems your boss here is trying to disrupt my delicately balanced household today," Kristine replied as she glared at Garrett Brown. "Kristine, may I call you Kristine? We got off on the wrong foot I think. I work for a bunch of idiots that constantly put my men and I in impossible situations. I don't like it any more than Adam does I suspect, but like him, I do my job. I've never asked for help outside the division until now. If Adam doesn't want to help, I'll be on my way and do it myself." Kevin entered with two beers and handed one to Jake. He then walked over to Kristine and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Nice to see you Kristine. I see you still have a sore spot for the agency." "Yes and you seem to forget that as an operative, I don't miss much. What are the guys ready for tonight? Adam, you going on a secret mission that you didn't tell me about?" Kristine asked with a sharp tone in her voice. "Calm down honey, Doc Sharp is rotating to Coronado for Instructor duty. We're having a farewell party tonight." "Oh I just love Doc! You're going to have a hard time replacing that one. So where's the party? I can be finished with the soup in an hour and then get ready to go," Kristine said excitedly. All four men looked at her with a smirk. She had no idea where the party was and might balk at the idea of a strip club for a going away party. Kristine looked back at the men with a confused look. "It's Doc's last party with us. I am invited, am I not?" "Um – Kristine, we're meeting up at Jackie's for the party. You may see some things that aren't quite right honey," Adam told her shyly. Kristine stood up and started towards the kitchen. "After Kevin, nothing really shocks me anymore. Dinner will ready in an hour, make yourselves at home gentlemen," she said as she kissed her husband then disappeared. "Adam, where's the bathroom?" Garrett asked. "Down the hall and on the left, I think I'll help my wife with dinner. Sounds like I might be in the dog house for the party," Adam said as he and Garrett exited the room. Now that they were alone, Jake Newton put his beer down and stared at Kevin. "Let me guess Dvorska, she knows too." "It couldn't be helped Jake. Both she and Adam were in danger. The only way to solve the problem was to show them what they were up against," Kevin said as he sipped his beer. "Jesus, why don't you just put it on a billboard Kevin? Who else on your fire team knows?" "The rest of the team is oblivious of my other side. The only other one is my girlfriend Laura. She's my true love and enjoys the time she spends with me when I change." "Is she going out tonight with us also?" "She told me earlier she wouldn't miss it for the world. Actually, it's kind of funny, she said that Kristine needed some company if she was going to a strip club. I guess she knows Kristine better than any of us do." "See, that's why I'm glad I joined the Marines. You SEALs are really weird people." ********** Jackie's Runway was a favorite club for the local men, along with a few adventurous women. The club was by no means large, but the fact it was located in a beach community, the deeply tanned dancers drew crowds in. The actual runway stretched from the back of the room. It extended out about twenty feet before breaking off to the left and right. A table like platform with cushioned chairs surrounded the entire runway. There were very few nights that an empty chair was available, but a group could always find seating at one of the polished tables that filled the rest of the club. The L-shaped bar ran from the entrance and along the mirrored wall. The costumers that just wanted a cold beer and some eye candy, found the bar a more appealing place to sit and watch. Those more mature men let the younger, more enthusiastic costumers crowd the stage. Machinist's Mate Second Class (MM2) Carl Werner, and Aviation Ordnanceman Second Class (AO2) Dan Vasquez, were among those enthusiastic costumers. Both Carl and V-man, held their empty beer bottles as they stared at the blond-haired dancer. She wore a hot pink G-string and matching pasties, which glowed brightly under the black lights of the stage. Both SEALs turned around when Alpha's team Chief came up behind them, placing six cold beers on the table. Boatswain's Mate Chief Petty Officer (BMC) Bob Holiday, smiled at the blonde-haired girl as he took a sip of his beer. When she saw his interest, she turned around and bent over. As she touched her toes, she turned her head and winked at him with a bright gleaming smile. "That looks painful sweetheart. Try not to hurt yourself on my account," Bob said as he stared at her tight shapely ass. "Oh don't worry about me, Daddy. I'm very flexible." The tanned stripper teased him further by running her pink tongue across her ruby red lips. V-man leaned his head back to look at his Chief. "Thanks for the round of beers – Daddy," he said with a laugh. "You obviously haven't had your ass kicked in a while, V-man. You call me that again and I'll rectify that problem." "Aye, aye Chief." "Carl, you didn't lose Doc did you? It's your job to make sure he doesn't die tonight," Bob asked his team's heavy weapons expert. "He didn't go too far Bob. V-man and I got a few of the girls to entertain him for a few songs. We couldn't let him just stare at them all night. He's over there in the corner." Carl then pointed off to a dark corner. Chief Bob Holiday turned and looked towards the far corner of the club. He saw two women, one blond, and one brunette, grinding on the outstretched legs of a man. He couldn't see the rest of his body as they women rubbed their almost naked forms against the smothered man. When the two women slid to the side, he saw Hospital Corpsman Third Class (HM3) Don Sharp. His light brown hair was a mess from the stripper's fingers, his face smeared in lipstick. Bob knew Doc was in heaven from the ear-to-ear smile across his boyish face. "Looks like he's getting his twenty bucks worth," Bob said. Carl looked at him with a shit-eating grin. "Actually we gave each one sixty to make it extra special." "Christ Carl, you're supposed to make sure he gets to Coronado for Instructor duty. What will the Navy say when they find out he had a heart attack before reporting?" "Then I guess it's a good thing we all know CPR," Carl replied as the song ended. Meanwhile at the front entrance, Adam and Kristine entered. Following close behind them were Kevin, Laura and the two S.A.D operators. Adam shook hands with the doorman and bouncer, Richard Black. The ex-SEAL smiled at the Lieutenant as he took the five-dollar door charge. "Hey Adam, nice to see you out tonight," the burly bouncer said. "Hi Dick, I'd like you to meet my wife, Kristine. Kristine, this is Richard Black, he used to be with the teams." Dick extended his large hand and gently held Kristine's more petite one. "Nice to meet you Kristine, but I'm afraid I'll have to see some ID. We don't need any underage women getting in and having the cops shut us down." "Oh well aren't you the sly one. You truly know a way to a woman's heart," she said with a bright smile, as she pulled out her driver's license. He studied it and handed it back to her. "Ladies get in free so enjoy your night, and if someone bothers you, then just yell." "I'll be surrounded by Adam's team. I don't think I'll need any extra protection, but I'll keep you in mind." The rest of the group came into the dimly lit strip club. Kevin headed to the bar with Jake Newton to get drinks, while the rest of them moved to an empty table near the runway. Both Garrett and Adam took seats against the wall as Kristine and Laura sat across from them. Kristine looked around at the strip club. There were women giving lap dances and a few up on the runway. She watched a dark haired beauty spinning on a brass pole as dollar bills littered the runway. Her eyes drifted off to one side of the room where she saw Bob Holiday, who was standing behind Carl and Dan. "There's the rest of your team Adam," Kristine said as she pointed to the stage. "Looks like they're really caught up with that dancer, I hope they have a good supply of small bills." Kevin came up and set a tray of drinks down. He handed Kristine a gin and tonic, then placed a strawberry daiquiri in front of Laura. Garrett and Adam reached in and pulled the beers off as Jake sat down. Kevin meanwhile looked over towards the stage and saw Bob. He kissed Laura's cheek and walked over to the rest of Alpha's fire team. Adam leaned over and looked at his lovely wife. "Well what do you think of the place?" "Oh I don't know Adam, I guess as a man you could find yourself enjoying it here. As far as the women though, I think Laura and I have them beat. I know I'm a much better dancer than them. What do you think, Laura?" "I agree with you Kristine. This is my first time in a strip club and I didn't know what to expect. I don't understand why men would sit down and pay a dollar just for some girl to spread her legs a foot in front of them?" Laura said as she shook her head. All three men laughed at her comment, then took a long pull off their drinks. Kristine leaned in towards Laura and brought her lips up to her ear. "I don't know about you dear, but I'm gonna have a few more of these drinks, then tease the hell out of my poor husband." "I agree. We'll show them there are better things to look at back home," she said with a giggle. Garrett set his beer down and looked at Adam Dawson. He needed an answer on whether or not he was going to help. He knew Eason would never agree to it, but if they all showed up tomorrow, he'd have no choice but to let them. "I don't mean to seem pushy here Adam, but I really could use your answer on my problem." "I'm sure you do Garrett. Let me get my team Chief over here and we'll discuss it." "I thought you were the Lieutenant, why don't you make the call?" "Because of what we might have to go after Garrett, it could get my men killed if it's like Predjama. SEALs discuss everything because our very lives are in each other's hands." The Pandora Effect Ch. 02 "Ok fine, go get him and we'll discuss it." "This is a really cool trick, watch this," Adam said, then turned to look towards Kevin Dvorska. "Hey Kevin, you and Holiday get over here for a minute," he said in a louder than normal voice. The music was loud and the bar had a lot of chatter in it. Garrett was amazed when Kevin turned around and nodded at Adam. He then leaned over and said something to Bob, then started making their way back to the table. "How in the hell..." "My point man has exceptional hearing, as I'm sure ole Jake here does too," Adam said as he looked at the other werewolf. Jake looked back at the Navy SEAL as if he just lost his mind. "My secret is safe Mr. Dawson, and I intend on keeping it like that if you don't mind." Just then, Kevin and Bob walked up. Bob Holiday studied the two new men with caution. He didn't know who they were, but from the looks of it, they were agency men. With the exception of Kristine, he held them in a very low level of regard. "Hey Boss, glad you could make it. I was starting to get a little worried you'd be a no show. Kristine, Laura, nice to see you out this evening. I think you should prepare yourselves for a strange evening," Bob said. Adam looked at Kevin with a smile. "Kevin, why don't you and Laura take Jake over to the rest of the team and introduce him around for a while, I need to talk to Bob for a minute." "Sure thing Adam, come on sweetheart you can tell Doc bye," Kevin said as he helped his girlfriend out of her seat. With the three of them gone, Bob maneuvered his muscular frame into an open chair next to Kristine. As he sipped his beer, he studied Garrett Brown. Garrett knew when he was being sized up as a threat but to his credit, he sat back and remained silent. After a few moments of awkward silence, Adam leaned forward and quickly looked around for prying listeners. "Chief, I'd like you to meet Garrett Brown. He's with the S.A.D and he came to me with a problem." "Solution is simple Boss. Get the fuck out of the agency before they get you killed. What else can we do for you Mr. Brown?" Brown turned and glared at Adam Dawson. "Is it just me, or does everyone around you hate the CIA?" "You have to understand Garrett, the agency has been a pain in our asses for a very long time. Even when I first met Kristine in Predjama, I was ready to put a bullet in her head for not answering my questions." "Oh I remember that honey. I also remember you saying something to the effect of tossing my dead corpse in a cave," Kristine said as she took another long drink of her Gin and tonic. Adam looked at his wife. "Sorry honey but you were pissing me off at the time." "Um, I hate to break up this trip down memory lane Boss, but just what does his problem have to do with us? He's supposed to have the cream of the crop in the S.A.D. so why us?" Bob said with an annoyed voice. "He's lost two teams Bob, along with one from British Special Forces. I hate to tell you this, but one of the teams looks like Bravo did back in Predjama," Adam said quietly. "Holy Mother of God, they all end up like that?" Bob asked Garrett in horror. "I don't know Chief, we've only found one team. The others are still missing but presumed dead also." "It gets worse Bob. It seems three tangos are trying to get their hands on a bio agent provided by a Russian Major. They want Alpha's help on tracking them down and preventing release of the agent. Do you think our team's up for round two of Predjama?" "Yes Sir, but what about the skipper? I don't think he'll want to give up one of his SEAL fire teams to the agency." Adam turned to Garrett who was listening intently. "Think you can pull a couple strings and get us assigned temporarily to the S.A.D. for a brief period?" "That's not the problem. The problem will be getting that paper-pushing boss of mine to go along with it. Hell I was just supposed to ask you about Predjama," Garrett worriedly said. "You let me worry about your boss. My team and I will be up at Langley tomorrow afternoon to start going over Intel on two conditions," Adam said as he took a drink and looked at his wife. "I doubt I'm going to have much choice in the conditions but go ahead," Garrett replied. "First, I want Jake Newton in on this. My point man trusts him and that's good enough for me." "I can live with that, and second?" "Kristine goes with us as the Intel Officer." There was a slight pause as the words hit the S.A.D. Director. "You are out of your mind Dawson! There is no way I'm gonna let a civilian in on this, not to mention she's your wife." Bob Holiday leaned over and glared at Brown. "Let's get something straight right now Brown. I've been with the teams for a long time. I've seen what you fuckers call Intel Officers, and I can safely say Kristine Dawson is worth twenty of your people." "Gentlemen!" Kristine said loudly. All three of them sat back and looked at her. "I appreciate your confidence in my ability Bob, but I can defend myself thank you. Does the fact that Adam and I are married make you nervous Garrett?" "You're damn right it does." "It should, because that means you'll be on you're A-game then. I don't want anything happening to my men – that's right – my men. From the first mission with them, I made sure that every piece of Intel was spot on. Your people don't think like that. If something goes wrong on an op, then they could just blame it on the operators." "What happens if he ends up like the others?" "He won't, he has Kevin as his point man. Besides, I knew what I was getting into when I married him." Garrett studied the three of them. He couldn't decide if they were really that good, or that they had all just lost their minds. He reached down, picked up his beer, and downed it. After placing it on the table, he looked over at Jake and the rest of Alpha chatting with Laura. When he turned back to Dawson, he lightened up a bit and smiled. "I knew this was a bad idea back at the Officer's club," Garrett told him. "Jake was right. Let's end this so we can get on with our lives," Adam replied. "Have your team report to me tomorrow afternoon. Don't worry about any gear, I'll have everything you need." "Just one more thing Mr. Brown," Kristine said as she finished her drink. "Oh shit, now what?" "Your turn to buy drinks," she said with a bright smile. Zernove Community Hospital, Zernove, Ukraine Dr. Loginovsky looked over the examination results of the last three patients that arrived. For the past twenty-four hours, his little hospital had been plagued with cases of flu like symptoms. With the more advanced stages, he saw severe rashes and in one case, open sores secreting a milky like fluid. After forty years of medical practice, he had never seen anything like it. As the nurse entered his tiny office, Loginovsky's thoughts of a treatment dissolved quickly and he closed the folder. He threw it on the desk and rubbed his tired eyes. He enjoyed when she would come in and talk medicine, but now he dreaded her entering. "I hope you're here to tell me that they've stopped coming," he said with a heavy sigh. "I wish it were that simple. Three more have come in with the same beginning symptoms." "I guess it could be worse. We could have thirty that just came in." "I'm afraid it is worse Doctor. Mr. Balakirev in exam room two is dead. I went in to check on his status and found him dead. I tried CPR but he's gone Sir." "Damn it! What in God's name is doing this?" Loginovsky screamed as he pounded his fist down on the desk. "Doctor, I – don't – I don't know what you want me to do?" "Move Mr. Balakirev to the morgue and make damn sure you have the temperature down to just above freezing. Seal off room two and I'll get to the others in a few minutes. I think I better report this to the State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology." "Yes Sir, right away," the nurse said. As she left the room, she tried very hard to stifle the nagging cough she had for the last few hours. Jackie's Runway, Virginia Beach, Virginia. Garrett finished off his beer and moved the empty bottle towards the center of the table. He then turned his attention towards Jake who was near the runway. He was standing next to Kevin as they watched the stripper on stage. He chuckled as he thought about how they stared each other down at the Officer's Club. Now here they were drinking as if they were the best of friends. "You know Adam, I think I better get my point man back to Langley. He's starting to have way too much fun here and we have a long day tomorrow," Garrett said as he watched the two men. "Yeah it sucks getting old. I think we're going to hang out for a few more hours then I'm calling it quits." "So when can I expect your team to arrive? I have to put you on the list for entry. After that, you're going to have to help me get that paper pusher Eason to go along with this. It will be one thing for your team to help, but it's gonna be a bitch to get him onboard with your wife's help." "Trust me Garrett, just wait until you see Kristine go at him when he says no," Adam said as he winked at his wife. Garrett stood up and shook hands with Adam and Kristine, then walked to the runway. As he stood next to Jake, he looked at the blond woman who was grinding her hips in the air for the enjoyment of the SEALs. When she saw him staring, she rolled over and tilted her shapely ass up off the stage. Garrett pulled his wallet out and tossed a five on the runway. "Nice view lady, but I think we're going to call it a night. Jake, finish your beer so we can get out of here. It will probably be a long day tomorrow and I don't want to start it with a hangover." "Not a problem Boss," he replied as he downed his beer and placed it on the table. "Nice to meet you Kevin, I guess I'll be seeing you later. Try to be capable of working in the morning. I can see how you sailors handle your alcohol," he said as he pointed to Doc Sharp. Kevin looked over at the SEAL medic. He was sitting upright but was clearly weaving in his chair. "I don't think that's a fair assessment. We've been feeding him goldschlager shots for the past four hours." Garrett Brown's eyes shot open at the news. "Four hours of goldschlager? If that's how you treat your friends, I'd hate to see what happens when someone pisses you off Dvorska." "I wouldn't worry too much. He'll be right as rain by the afternoon. See you two tomorrow," Kevin said as he went over to sit next to the transferring medic. The two S.A.D. operatives walked out of Jackie's as the SEAL team continued to ogle the dancers. Kristine and Adam were still at the table, watching the team enjoy themselves. Even Laura was starting to move with the music in her seat, the strawberry daiquiris starting to take over her inhibitions. Kristine picked up her drink and grabbed her husband's hand. As she pulled him up, she kissed his lips softly and led him to the stage. She weaved through the crowd of men watching the show, but as she did, they glanced at her tone legs in the short mini skirt. Feeling a bit naughty, she swayed her hips for their enjoyment. Adam moved closer behind her as they walked towards the rest of the team. "Is it just me, or are you purposely trying to seduce everyman here?" Kristine stopped and turned around. She pressed her supple body against Adam's muscular form. Her face was only inches from his, and she had that gleam in her eyes when she was in a sexually playful mood. "If you must know Mr. Dawson, I want every man in this place to know when I get your hunk of a body home tonight, I'm going to fuck you senseless," she said loudly, then kissed him hard as she raised her leg up and wrapped it around his. A few of the nearby costumers shifted in their seats. As they adjusted their growing bulges, they stared at the sultry woman making out with her husband. When Kristine finally pulled away, she smiled devilishly at Adam, then pulled him along to sit with the team. The married couple sat down next to Laura who watched them walk over. She was blushing slightly and had a sheepish grin on her face. She wobbled a bit, as she leaned over to Kristine to talk to her. "I don't want this to sound too silly, but watching you two just now made me hot. I think if I don't drag Kevin to the ladies room right now, I'll do him next to the stage," she said with slightly slurred words. "Take some advice sweetie. If you tease men enough, they'll drag you to the restroom, instead of the other way around. Watch how a pro does it." Laura sat back in her chair as she watched Kristine get up. The attractive wife of Lieutenant Dawson walked over to a dancer who was trying to drum up a lap dance. She had long flowing brown hair that reached just above her taut ass. The bright white thong showed up well against her tanned skin. Kristine tapped her on the shoulder and whispered in her ear. After a few moments, she smiled brightly and followed Kristine back to the others. After sitting down, she reached into her purse and handed the younger woman a twenty-dollar bill. As she leaned back, she looked at her husband who had a look of bewilderment on his face. "I love you Kristine, but you didn't need to get me a lap dance. I think I'm pretty much turned on from you're last kiss back there." "I'm glad to hear that honey, but she's not here for you Adam. Just sit back and enjoy the show," she replied as the dancer straddled Kristine's slim hips. As the stripper began to grind slowly against her, Kristine placed her hands on the brunette's hips. It didn't take long for the rest of the team to notice what was happening behind them. As the SEALs looked on, their mouths began to open slightly in amazement. Kristine slid her hands up the sides of the dancer's petite frame and pulled her down. "What's your name dear?" Kristine whispered. "It's Becky, and I think your husband is going to have a heart attack." "There's another twenty in it for you if you want to play along Becky." "If we make him cum in his pants, make it thirty and you have a deal," she whispered as she pretended to fuck herself against Kristine Dawson. As Becky leaned back, Kristine moved her hands back down and grabbed Becky's tight little ass. She pulled her forward as if trying to pull Becky harder against her. She then turned her head to look at Adam. The look on his face told her everything she needed to know. "Now I know why you guys come here. Oh she's making me so hot Adam," Kristine moaned out at him. Adam could only stare in awe at the sight of his wife getting a lap dance. Then Becky grabbed both of Kristine's hands and placed them on her pert breasts. When Kristine felt the tit flesh against her palms, she licked her lips wantonly. "Oh that feels so good lady. Yeah that's it, squeeze them really hard. Oh fuck, I think I want to take you back stage for a little private dance," Becky moaned out and then looked at Adam. "What do you say Mister? Want to come back stage with us and watch? It would be so fucking hot to have you watch me make your wife cum in my mouth," she said as she slipped down on the floor between Kristine's bent legs. Kristine looked at her Adam through glazed eyes. "Fuck going back stage you little tart. I'm gonna take you home with us. How about it Adam, are you up for a little extra-marital fun tonight?" "I think I better keep my mouth shut baby. I'll just enjoy the show for now," Adam said as he took a long pull off his beer. Suddenly the music stopped and the crowd came to life in applause. Kristine looked out and saw the whole bar was watching the hot coupling of Kristine and Becky. When Becky stood up and straightened her outfit, Kristine handed her another twenty. "Sorry, but we didn't make him cum in his pants." "Oh that's ok, I enjoyed the dance anyway," Becky replied, but as she turned around, every SEAL member had a five out for a tip. As she collected the money, she thanked everyone and then moved off into the crowd. "That was the hottest thing I've ever seen Kristine. I think we should go home and take care of this growing problem I'm having." "Oh Adam, patience was never one of your strong points," she replied with a laugh. Then she turned to Laura who was blushing hard. "See dear, you make THEM want you, not the other way around." Kevin stood up, kissed Laura on the lips, and told her he would be right back. The beer was starting to get to him and needed to use the restroom. From the look in her eyes, he knew they weren't going to be here much longer. As he made his way through the crowd, he noticed a heavyset man sitting at a table by himself. He had a half-eaten plate of wings on the table and he was pounding his chest with his fist. At first, Kevin thought the man had a bad case of indigestion, but soon realized he was choking on his food. He walked up quickly and slapped the man on the back, trying to help him. "You okay there buddy? Come on, cough it out." Adam noticed that Kevin had stopped at a table and was slapping some overweight guy on the back. "Shit now what did he get himself into?" Adam stood up and walked quickly over to the table Kevin was at. As he made his way through the crowd, he saw the man collapse on top of his table. He reached the table just as Kevin was wrapping his powerful arms around the man's abdomen. "Jesus Kevin, can't you stay out of trouble for just one night?" "Sorry Boss, it just seems to find me," he replied as he tried giving the Heimlich maneuver to the quickly fading man. As the two SEALs worked on bringing the man back to the living, the music stopped and the entire bar was caught up in the emergency. Bob Holiday saw his team leader was in the middle of the commotion and jumped up to help him. Just before Bob reached the action, Kevin laid the unconscious costumer down on the floor. Richard Black pushed people out of the way to get to the problem. When he looked down and saw Kevin giving chest compressions, he knew this was serious. "Adam, keep trying to get him back. I'll call for an ambulance," he said quickly. "Thanks Dick. Bob is Doc Sharp able to..." "Sorry Adam, he's out of it. We're on our own on this one," Bob said quickly. Kevin kept checking to see if the obstruction had cleared. "Fuck, we're losing him Adam! Where the hell is that meat wagon?" Suddenly, a blond haired man in his early twenties kneeled down quickly and placed two fingers on the carotid artery. After a few moments, he looked at Adam with a grim look. "His pulse is weakening. If we don't get some air in this guy's lungs, they'll need a coroner, not a paramedic," he said. "My buddy Kevin can't clear the windpipe. I don't know what else to do. If you have another idea kid I'm all ears, but you better make it quick." The blond haired, blue-eyed patron turned to look at Dick Black who just arrived from phoning for help. "Get me a large straw now, one that's wrapped in paper." As Dick moved quickly towards the bar, the youngster turned to Adam with a stern look on his face. Then he looked around the crowd at the large group of men surrounding the two SEALs. "Does anyone have a pocket knife with them?" he asked loudly. "What the hell are you about to do?" Adam asked. "Please, does anyone have a pocket knife?" Bob Holiday reached into his pocket and produced a three-inch folding knife. "That's really sharp kid so be careful with it." As the young man felt around the unconscious victims Adam's apple, Dawson gasped in disbelief. He then moved his fingers down lower and to the soft part of the man's throat. He slowly brought the sharp knife up and was prepared to make an incision when Adam stopped him. The Pandora Effect Ch. 02 "Just what the fuck do you think you're doing?" Adam asked sternly. "The procedure is called an Emergency Tracheotomy. It's designed to get air into a person's lungs when..." "I know what the fuck it's called kid. Are you some sort of Doctor or something?" "If you don't stop asking me questions, this man is surely dead," the young man replied. Kevin looked up from doing chest compressions and glared at his team leader. "Damn it Adam, I can't keep doing this all night. Let the kid try." Without permission, the young blond haired man placed the knife against the victim's throat and then started talking to himself. "Ok, make a half-inch incision in the cricothyroid membrane. Oh good, not too much blood, and now..." "That knife isn't sterile kid," Bob Holiday said. "Let's see mister, him getting an infection or dying? Yeah tough choice," he replied as he pinched the incision open. "Is that straw here yet?" "Yeah kid, right here," Richard said. "Okay, slide the straw in but since he's overweight I gotta go about an inch," he said as he placed his lips around the straw and blew air into it. Kevin stopped doing chest compressions and watched as the man's lungs filled with air. The young man took another deep breath and released it into the large straw. As the chest rose, he quickly felt for the man's pulse. "Wow, that's cool. He's coming back to the living," the young man said happily. Adam sat back on his feet and stared at the youngster who just saved the choking victim. As a SEAL in combat, he'd seen Doc Sharp pull off a lot of miracles, but this kid just pulled off a wallop of one. The young man was giving the victim a breath every five seconds or so as he kept the man alive. Suddenly, two paramedics came in and took over for the original rescue team. As Kevin, Adam, and the younger man moved back, Adam slapped him on the back and stuck his hand out to help him up. "I gotta hand it to you kid. That was almost the most amazing thing I've ever seen. I'm Adam Dawson." "Thanks, but it really is a simple procedure. I'm John, John Balch," he said as he shook Adam's hand. "Come on over to our table, I'd like to buy you a beer." "Cool, free beer always sounds good," John said as he followed Adam back to the table. Just as they sat down, the once dying man was wheeled out of the building and then the music started up again. Adam noticed that Dick Black was standing next to the DJ booth with a shit-eating grin on his face. As he grabbed the mike, he stepped out on the stage a few feet. "Alright everyone settle down, the shows over. Who wants to get back to having fun?" he said. As the crowd erupted in screams, Dick laughed at the rhetorical question. "Okay, okay, but before we get to the girls, let's have a round of applause for the men of SEAL Team Two for their quick action. We should also give it up to the young kid and his skill with a knife." The crowd stood up and Kevin had to cup his ears as the sound grew to shattering levels. The men of SEAL Team Two smiled at the recognition as the barmaid brought in free rounds of drinks. Everyone seemed to be enjoying it, everyone except for John Balch. "Hey John, what the hell is wrong. You just saved some guys life, why so glum buddy?" Adam asked. "Um – you guys are with SEAL Team Two?" "Yeah but don't let the reputation fool you. We're pretty normal people when someone isn't shooting at us," Adam said with a laugh. Both Kevin and Bob turned in their chairs as Jack toyed with his beer bottle. For someone who just brought a choking victim back from the dead, he really wasn't very happy. It almost looked as if he was scared to know that they were SEALs. "Um – so are you like a Chief or something," Jack asked. "Nope, Lieutenant Adam Dawson, team leader for Alpha," he replied with a smile. "Oh I see, Hospital Corpsman Second Class John Henry Balch. I just got out of BUDs and have orders to report to Commander, SEAL Team Two, Little Creek, Virginia in the morning." Everyone, including Kristine and Laura, were stunned at the revelation. The young man who just carved into the throat of a stranger with such calm and precision was a SEAL medic. When John saw that everyone was staring at him with their mouths open, he quickly thought about moving to the other side of the room. He was warned when he left Coronado, it took a few months to be accepted by a new team. He took a small drink of his beer and then set it on the table. He looked at Adam Dawson with a hint of sorrow in his eyes. With the team's silence, it quickly became uncomfortable. "Um – I um – I'm sorry to interrupt your party Lieutenant Dawson. I think I should be going now, I wouldn't want to be late for reporting in Sir," John said as he stood up. Adam leaned back in his chair and glared at the young SEAL. "I don't remember giving you permission to leave rookie. When a fellow SEAL buys you a beer, it's considered rude not to drink it," he said with a trace of annoyance. John looked at the rest of the team. He saw most of them trying to hide the smirks growing on their faces, everyone but Chief Bob Holiday. Bob got up and approached the younger man. As he stood in front of him, Bob studied the rookie medic. "For someone who just got done performing an emergency surgical procedure in the middle of a strip club, you sure seem nervous as hell all of a sudden." "I just didn't want to intrude on your party Sir," John said a little more sternly. "Sir? I work for a living rookie, don't call me Sir." "I was just following what I was taught." John braced himself for the verbal attack that was sure to come. "Oh I see, you were taught to call a Chief Petty Officer – Sir," Bob snapped at him. "No – that's what I call my elders," John said as he stood his ground. The two SEALs stared each other down. Even though Holiday was trying to see how far he could push the rookie, he really wanted to break out laughing at the brash remark. Adam looked over at Kristine and Laura. He saw that they appeared nervous at the impending fight that was sure to come. "So John Henry Balch, you seem pretty confident in yourself," Adam said. John turned to look at the decorated SEAL Lieutenant. "If you don't believe in yourself first Sir, no one else will either." Adam was silent for a moment, then he looked at his team Chief. "Bob?" "He's got my vote Adam." "Now for the moment of truth rookie, Kevin any problems?" Adam asked his trusted point man and werewolf. Kevin scrutinized the medic. He seemed extremely confident, but not in a cocky way. The two SEALs locked eyes and neither one of them blinked. Kevin remembered his first interview for an opportunity to join Alpha's fire team. The rookie already had the hard part out of the way first – ability. From the looks of it, the new medic was proving the second part, have a set of balls. "Oh what the hell Adam, we need someone new to pick on anyway." "Ok rookie, you get a shot at the big leagues. Report to my office at 0800 and don't worry about your uniforms. You'll be going with us in plain clothes and won't be back for a while," Adam said. "Thank you Sir, I've been waiting for a chance like this," John replied with a huge smile on his face. Bob got John's attention by tapping him on the shoulder. "I wouldn't get too excited kid, that old saying really applies to this situation. Be careful what you wish for, you might just get it." State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology, VECTOR. Dr. Valentin Bazhenov stared at the phone on his desk. His assistant just informed him of something that would resemble a flu outbreak but with deadly side effects. He reached out to grab his bottle of water, but failed to pick up the cold plastic cylinder. His hands were now trembling at the sudden news of the outbreak. Valentin took a deep breath to calm down, then picked up one of the two phones on the desk. This particular phone had a special purpose and went to a single location. He silently hoped that this day would never come, but now the news would get out and his secret along with it. As he waited for the switchboard to answer, he thought about the possible outcome over the necessary steps needed to stop the virus from spreading. Would the world look down on them? Would the U.S. get involved over the arms treaty breech? His worries vanished into the fog of dismay as the switchboard answered. "President Loginov's office, please state your name and office," a young female voice asked. "Dr. Valentin Bazhenov, I'm the Director of VECTOR. I need to talk with President Loginov right now." "I'm sorry Doctor, but the President is in a briefing right now. I can pass along a message if you'd like," she pleasantly replied. "Listen carefully. Check the number you just answered. Agencies don't use this number unless it's deadly serious. Now follow procedure and get me the President – now God damn it!" There was an eerie silence on the phone as Valentin waited for her answer. At first, he thought the line might have gone dead due to his tone with the operator. He was about to scream at her again when suddenly a deep male voice came on the line. "Okay Dr. Bazhenov, what is so important that you need to interrupt a meeting with the Economics Minister?" "The damn economy is the least of your worries now Mr. President. I've just received word of a flu outbreak in a small town northeast of Sevastopol, Zernove. The symptoms are fever, nausea, and rashes. It soon develops into open sores followed by death." "So put out a quarantine of the area and inform residents not to enter the town. What's got you so nervous about an epidemic?" "Mr. President, do you remember a few years back when I showed you a study on a virus designated VP-137?" "Vaguely, you called it the Pandora Effect or something I think." "Well Sir, Pandora has just been released on Zernove." The President's silence told Valentin he understood what was happening now. He wondered if the same thoughts he had earlier were now filling the President's mind. Did he happen to remember what effect the outcome had on the rats they tested it on? "You can't be serious Valentin? Those rats – they came..." "That's right Mr. President, they came back to life. Not really mice anymore but the walking dead, and the victims in Zernove will do the same thing. Nothing will stop them from infecting every last man, woman, and child on the face of the earth." "I'll have the military surround the town and gather everyone in a centralized area. You understand no one can survive to allow it to spread." "Yes Sir, I do. If your men can capture a male and female, I need them here to start working on some type of vaccine." "You wouldn't need to Bazhenov if you and that sadistic bitch Karpov didn't create that God damn virus in the first place!" he screamed. "We can point fingers at each other later! Right now you need to get that town secured as fast as you can without the media finding out," Valentin shot back. "I'll have it sealed off within the hour. By the way, how much of the virus is out there?" Dr. Valentin Bazhenov took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. "Enough to change the world forever." ********** Nadia Karpov turned the key and opened the door to the grimy little motel room. She hated the conditions here, but she knew she had to keep a low profile for now. It would be careless for someone to find her, now that the virus was loose on the world. As she walked in, a dark haired man followed her. He was smartly dressed and swayed as he looked around the room. "Jesus, what a fucking dump, no wonder she has to pick up guys in a bar." Nadia tossed her purse and keys on the small table at the end of the worn out couch. As she turned to face the drunken man she picked up, she ran her hands down the skintight dress she wore. The sleek black outfit never failed to attract attention from any male in the room. She walked seductively towards him as she moved her hands up to her pert breasts. Nadia ran her pink tongue across her full lips and wondered if he knew what he was getting himself into when he agreed to come home with her. She really didn't care one way or another, but it was much more erotic if they were unsuspecting when it happened. "So what was your name again?" she asked in a low seductive tone. "It's Hamal. I have to tell you, you're drop dead fucking hot." "Oh thank you, I do try to take care of myself. I've always believed that men would rather have sex with a hot, sexy, kinky woman any day of the week." "Oh shit Nadia, you're gonna make me shoot off before I even get undressed." "You know the origin of your name is Arabic. It means lamb, as in soft and cuddly." "I can tell you I'm not soft and cuddly. I'm hard and horny and I think we both have too many clothes on right now," he said as he started to pull his tie off. "You're probably right, how's this?" she said as she pulled her tight black dress up and over her head. Nadia shook her long black hair, letting it cascade down her back. Hamal's eyes filled with lust as he watched Nadia slowly walk towards him. He now had his shirt unbuttoned and was pulling it off, when the biochemist reached out and began working on his pants. With her hands busy, she leaned forward, placed her lips around his nipple, and sucked hard. Hamal couldn't contain his urgency as he grabbed her head and tilted it back. He was taller than Nadia so when her head went back, he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. As their tongues fought for supremacy, Nadia wrapped her small delicate fingers around his thick cock. When Hamal felt her slowly stroking him, he pulled his mouth away and moaned softly. "I take it you like this," Nadia whispered. "Oh God that feels so good, you sure know how to make a guy weak." "God has nothing to do with it, I'm the one working this hard cock of yours." "Yeah and if you keep working it like that, I'm not going to be much use for very long," Hamal moaned as he palmed her small breasts. Nadia pulled him towards the couch and pushed him backwards. As he fell to the cushions, Hamal looked up at her. She had an evil smile on her face and her eyes blazed with an animal like hunger. The fallen angel moved one hand down the center of her body until it reached the hairless flesh between her legs. As two fingers quickly darted inside, she groaned deep in her throat from the pleasurable sensation. Hamal could only watch in fascination as the petite woman masturbated in front of him. "I hope I chose correctly tonight. I need a strong and vigorous man to satisfy my hunger tonight. That means I need a lot of cum from those huge balls of yours." "I haven't had sex in a week so I'm sure you'll have enough to keep you happy for a while," he replied as he reached up and pulled her towards him. As she fell forward, Nadia spread her legs open and kneeled over his leaking member. When their eyes met, she slowly inserted her wet fingers between her lips and sucked them clean. She knew her desired effect was working when Hamal shuddered with amazement. She pulled her fingers out and rubbed them on his nipple. "You should know that I can be very naughty when I want to be. My desire can only be sated by the darkest of fantasies." When he moaned his approval, she quickly sat down and engulfed his entire length inside her. As he felt the tightness surround him, he pulled her close and sucked a pert nipple into his mouth. As wild as she was getting on top of him, Hamal wondered if he could actually keep up with her. "Yes that's it, pleasure me and I will make all your fantasies come true tonight," Nadia moaned. "You better not say things like that, I have a very vivid imagination. I wouldn't want to overdo it and have you think badly of me," he told her as his face continued to work on her chest. With her free hand, she reached down and rubbed her clit quickly. The sensation of the hard cock embedded deep within her body, and the tingling of her throbbing nub pushed her closer to the edge. She needed to cum quickly, so Nadia pushed his head away and looked into his burning eyes. "How's this for a vivid imagination? I'm going to rub myself off on your hard fucking cock. After I get it nice and slimy, I'm going to suck it into my mouth. I'm going to suck you so good that you'll be filling my mouth with your hot seed as you hold my head down." "Yes, yes that's what I want!" he cried. "Look into my eyes and tell me what you want. Tell me what you're going to do for me." "Oh – oh shit! I'm going to – to hold your head. I'm going to hold your head down and make you swallow all of it," he panted. The dirty talk pushed her over the edge and she climaxed hard around the pulsing cock. Soon Hamal's pulsing cock was soaked in her searing juice as she quivered on top of him. As her orgasm subsided, she placed both hands on Hamal's face. She kissed him hard then suddenly pulled back. "Now it's your turn my little lamb. I'm going to suck the life out of you through your big cock." "Oh God that's so fucking hot, suck the life out of me – do it you slut!" With great agility, Nadia jumped off the couch and wrapped her lips around the bulbous head of Hamal's cock. After a few quick sucks, she plunged her mouth down until she felt his pubic hair against her face. Nadia smiled inside as she heard the primal moan of wanton lust. When he grabbed her head and tried to force more of him into her throat, she knew he was close. "So tight, so damn tight," he said through clenched teeth. Nadia didn't have to wait very long for her reward. With a final plunge of her mouth, she shoved the tip into her throat just as the first blast erupted. Hamal's grip tightened, which prevented her movement. She wasn't worried as the hot cum went straight to her belly, she would soon get what she wanted most from him. When he stopped shooting, Hamal tried to pull her head off his sensitive cock. When she continued to suck him hard, he placed his hands on her shoulders and pushed. Nadia quickly grabbed his hands and smashed them down to the couch. Hamal became nervous when his cock started to hurt and he became light headed. "Jesus Nadia stop, I can't take anymore." Nadia growled as the life force began to leave his body. The more she took in, the weaker her victim became. She lifted her head up and watched as Hamal's body began changing. When he looked down with pleading eyes, he saw her once lovely face changing. It was as if two different entities fought for control of her features. "My God, what are you?" he gasped as he watched the hideous face flash in and out of his vision. The fallen angel swallowed the life force, enjoying the look on Hamal's face as he came to realize he was about to die. Soon, his cheeks began to hollow and his skin wrinkled from the lack of mass. As he passed into the land of the dead, she swallowed the last tasty morsel of his soul. When she released his shriveled member, Nadia licked her fingers as if she had just finished eating. The sharp jagged teeth and blazing red eyes vanished. Now, she glowed in the aftermath of the sadistic killing of the unsuspecting human. She looked at Hamal's body. It now appeared as if the once vigorous man had been dead for a hundred years. "I told you I was going to suck the life out of you through your cock." The room filled with an evil laughter, as Nadia ran her hands over her supple body. Well that's it for Chapter two. With the SEAL team helping Garrett, the chances for a successful mission just increased, maybe. Can Kristine persuade the Director of the CIA to let her help? Will Kevin be able to handle not only three werewolves, but the fallen angel as well? It's a race against time to prevent the spread of the deadly Pandora virus and it's chilling effect. Let me know what you thought of the chapter and as always, enjoy the journey because you never know where it will take you. The Pandora Effect Ch. 03 Thanks to those of you who stuck up for me on the last Chapter. Please remember everyone this is a hobby for most of us on Literotica, we're not trying to land on the New York Times best seller list. Thanks to my dear editor, Dawn who helped set me straight on the last scene. One disclaimer...if you have a weak stomach, when Garrett Brown mentions the trash can in the corner, move on to the next scene. You've been warned. Small house just outside of Ordzhonikidze, Ukraine. Bashir Haddad sat at the large wooden table in the center of the Kitchen. He flipped through the various maps of continents around the world. On them were colored areas where the largest populations massed together. As he studied North America, he knew the way to succeed in spreading the virus was to infect the largest cities first. Once the population became nervous, they would leave the city and move on to suburbs and rural areas. He placed a finger on the east coast of the United States and tapped his finger on the area of Washington D.C. Bashir then dragged it across the map to an area around Los Angeles California. After staring at the spot for a few moments, he moved the map and dug out an area photo of the shipping terminals located west of the city. His plan was to start on the east coast, then quickly move west, and leave the country via the shipping terminals. From there he had access to Asia, which contained a vast majority of the world's population. He pushed the photo away and rubbed his tired eyes. The pressure of mission planning and awaiting news of the test was beginning to mount. As Bashir released a long sigh, Mansur Abla walked in sat down across from his worried team leader. He picked up one of the photos of a medium sized cargo ship flying an Egyptian flag, the Naqada. If his part of the mission was to be successful, he had to take over the vessel with the use of mercenaries and send it across the Atlantic towards America. "Is there any news yet about the town?" Bashir asked as he ran his fingers through his messy black hair. "Nothing yet Bashir, but you would think that after four days we would have heard some kind of news. I think that Soviet bitch tricked us and we bought empty vials of air." Bashir leaned forward and studied the maps again. This time he scanned the area of the Ukraine in search of another target area. "It's fucking useless to continue unless we know the virus is real. We might have to postpone the mission and risk another test somewhere else." "I don't care what we do as long as I don't have to watch any more news about the poor economy, rising gas prices and military training exercises," Mansur said as he picked up more photos of the cargo ship. Bashir's head shot up and stared hard at Mansur. "What did you just say?" "I said I'm sick and tired of watching television. If I have to watch one more news program about money, I think I'll go blind." "Not that you fool, you said something about the military!" "Calm down Bashir, it's nothing. The news is reporting about annual military exercises, but this year they are trying to concentrate on how to improve rapid response times. Military Commanders are saying it's just training and they don't foresee any civilian problems." Bashir slowly rose from the chair. He looked rather calm as moved around the large table and approached Mansur. When he was within arm's reach, he backhanded the muscular werewolf with lightning speed. Mansur had no time to react to the assault and he flew backwards out of his chair. The hit was so violent that it cased the unsuspecting man to fly across the room and slam into the plastered wall of the kitchen. Mansur shook his head clear of the dizziness that quickly washed over him. Any normal human would never have the strength to achieve such a task. When his vision cleared, he glared at Bashir as he stood over him. The look on Bashir's face told him everything; any action on his part was useless. "What the hell was that for Bashir?" "You incompetent fool! I told you to watch for any news that the virus worked. How long ago did the news about military exercises come out?" "Yesterday afternoon but they said it was training and nothing more," Mansur said as he gingerly rose off the floor with concern for his safety. Bashir moved quickly back to his seat and picked up the photo of the Naqada, the cargo vessel that would signal the start of the new world order. "The military is mobilizing to surround and quarantine the town Mansur. The current government has no reason to spend money they don't have on training. During the last year, they have dismantled most of the fleet and bases." "So what do we do now Bashir?" "When the Naqada docks, you are going to ensure the mercenaries have the mission plans and then we load one container onboard. Before you exit the ship at Gibraltar, make sure the container is in place on the bow and set it for a collision course for Washington D.C." Mansur was nervous about asking anything else. He knew from the tone of Bashir voice that he was still unhappy about the late information. His luck changed and he didn't have to when Rashida Turk walked in from the completion of her rounds. She grabbed a bottle of water out of the refrigerator and took a seat next to her mate. "Is there any indication that the people in this town know who we are or evidence of any surveillance?" Bashir asked her as he kissed her cheek. "Not that I could see my love. As far as I can tell, your plan is proceeding as you hoped. There is one thing that has been on my mind lately. The fact that we left those four bodies for others to find should have brought a response from some organization. It seems like they don't care their friends are dead." "Don't underestimate them Rashida. The only reason they haven't come is because they don't want to end up like them. They've realized they can't attack us, so now the only thing they can do is sit back and watch." Mansur looked at the larger werewolf with a slight contempt. He wasn't ready to count another military action out of the question. Humans weren't going to just sit around and watch as the small wolf pack took control of the world. Central Intelligence Agency Headquarters, Langley, Virginia. Two dark sedans pulled into the visitor's parking lot at the highly secure building that housed the top levels of the CIA. On the outside, it appeared like any other office complex. A lot of windows to let the sunshine in, landscaping that look liked something either from homes of the rich and famous or Hugh Hefner's playboy mansion. Although to the trained eye, it was the most monitored place on the face of the plant. Adam Dawson opened his car door and immediately looked up at the large black dome on top of the lamppost. He knew his group was under scrutiny from any numbers of monitors inside the building. As Kristine got out, she looked around and saw another black dome. She smiled brightly and then blew a kiss at the unseen camera. Within seconds, the rest of fire team Alpha exited the vehicles and scanned the area, everyone except the rookie medic, John Balch. He was busy checking his shirt and making sure his belt buckle was straight. As he looked up, he saw Dan Vasquez staring at him with a puzzled look. "Doc, what the hell are you doing? This isn't a fucking fashion show," V-man said sarcastically. "You only have one chance to make a statement V-man. I just want to make sure I don't look like a dork." "Oh thanks for clearing that up rookie. I wouldn't want you looking like a dork on your first operation," Vasquez said with a laugh. Bob Holiday closed his door and looked over at the other vehicle where V-man, Carl, and the new medic were having a discussion. He was sure they gave the new member of Alpha a hard time during the three-hour drive. "If you clowns are done screwing around, would you be kind enough to join the rest of us?" "Sorry Bob, just making sure the rookie looked good for the Intel guys," Dan said. Kevin looked around and sniffed the air quietly. Even though he was in a secure location, he never took any chance when it came to the safety of his team. He shut his door and moved up to stand next to his Lieutenant. "Now what Boss" "Oh I don't know Kevin, I was thinking since you're the point man you'd have an idea on where to go from here." Kristine turned and placed her arms on the roof of the car. She looked at her two favorite men and wondered if they always started a mission with this amount of confusion. "You know for a couple of SEALs who are supposed to know what they're doing, you two look like you should be wearing baseball uniforms and doing the 'Who's on first' routine." "Is she going to be like that the whole time?" Kevin asked. "If you're brave enough to tell her to stop, be my guest. Me personally, I like where my balls are at the moment." Kevin spotted the sign for the visitor's entrance and called for the team to fall in line. To any normal person they appeared to be normal civilians entering the area, but the guard inside the building knew differently. As the team approached, each man searched a different area and the last person in line, a tall muscular black man, kept looking behind him. The guard on duty, Rich Woods, called his friend over to the control booth. Rich indicated to the monitor of the parking lot and allowed him to watch for a moment. "Does that seem odd to you?" "No not really. It's just a bunch of guys and some hot chick coming in," he said in a lazy tone. "They're not normal guys, not the way they scan everything in the area. I think we have trouble coming in so be on the ready in case anything happens." The two separated and Rich's partner moved to the other side of the room. After a few moments, Kevin Dvorska opened the door but then quickly stepped to the side. Adam entered first and maintained eye contact with the guard stationed at the desk. The next person to walk in was Bob Holiday. He immediately turned his head towards the other guard stationed in the corner of the room. The SEAL team quickly entered and spread out in a wedge formation with Adam Dawson at the front. When the guard stationed in the corner saw this, he released the safety snap on his Berretta 9mm and pulled the weapon up slightly. He knew normal visitors didn't form up in a defensive cover formation. The release of the snap on the guard's weapon was almost inaudible, to everyone except Kevin Dvorska. His werewolf senses kicked in as he heard the release of the snap. The smell of fear and sweat was heavy in the room and he quickly wondered if they were in for a fight. He quickly moved up behind Adam and whispered in his ear. "Sir the guard in the rear released his safety and they're both scared shitless." Adam nodded and reached for his wallet in his back pocket. When he did, the guard thought he was reaching for a weapon and pressed the silent alarm button. In a flash, he was out of his chair and pointing his service weapon directly at Dawson's chest. Every member of fire team Alpha quickly moved their hands behind them and grabbed the grip of their Siq Sauer P226. Adam knew he had to defuse the situation quickly before it got out of hand. He raised his hands up and stared at the guard. "Alpha freeze where you are. I don't know what your problem is buddy, but we came to see Garrett Brown. If you don't mind, I'd like to get my identification. Or are you just going to put a few rounds through my chest and then ask me who I am?" "Real slow Mister. Pull your wallet out and place it on the counter," Woods said in a shaky voice. Adam reached back and pulled his wallet out. Just as he was about to lay it on the counter, twelve heavily armed men entered from unseen doors in the walls of the lobby. They quickly circled the SEALs and Kristine trembled slightly as an AR-15 assault rifle was pointed at her chest. Dawson threw the wallet on the counter and Woods picked it up with his free hand. As he pulled the military ID out, he studied the photo and then looked at the team leader. "Adam Dawson, Lieutenant, United States Navy. You sure don't know how to enter a building casually. What do you want with Garrett Brown?" "First off, my business with Mr. Brown is none of your concern. What is a concern is what's going to happen if you don't order your people to lower their weapons. My SEAL team is getting a little nervous. When they get nervous bad things happen to other people." "I don't think so Mr. Dawson, now..." Suddenly from the side of the room, Garrett Brown rushed in. He pushed through the crowd of guards and stood next to Adam Dawson. The look on Browns face told Rich Woods everything he needed to know and he placed his weapon back in his holster. When the assault team saw the guard stand down, they lowered their weapons and shook their heads. The whole situation was blown out of proportion by a jumpy security guard. "You know Woods I should let Dawson here kick your ass just for the fun of it. Why the fuck would you scramble an assault team, just because a bunch of Navy SEALs entered the building?" "Well Sir, they entered the building like they were going to assault it. The way they acted and everything..." "They act like that because they have to deal with stupid fucking people like you Woods! After your shift, report to your supervisors office. I'm sure he'll want to go over protocol with you again." Brown was visibly shaking from anger. Garrett picked the wallet up from the counter and handed it back to Adam. He apologized for the mix up and the guard's reaction and motioned for him and his team to follow him deeper into the CIA Headquarters. As they passed through the metal detector, a light starting flashing and an alarm was set off. Garret stared hard at Woods and he quickly turned the system off momentarily. "Nice welcome wagon you have here Garrett. I hope he's not on one of your fire teams," Adam said sarcastically. "Fuck no! He spent four years in the Army and the only thing he's good for is signing people in. His dad is some politician up on the hill and that's the only reason he's here. He's only been here a year and that's the second time he's pulled that shit." "Well we all have our problem children don't we," Dawson said with a laugh as they walked down the corridor. "Speaking of problem children, who's the new guy with you? I don't remember seeing him at the club last night." "My team needed a new medic, his name is John Balch. I'll tell you later on why I wanted him with us. So where are you taking us Garrett?" "The briefing room, we still have to tell Tanner Eason that you'll be helping with the situation from here on out. I better warn you now that he's gonna pop a gasket when he finds out." Adam put his arm around the Director of the S.A.D. and patted his shoulder. "I know he will, that's why I brought Kristine with us. Trust me." "Yeah, famous last words of General Custer – trust me," Garrett said as they continued down the hall. Sub level two, CIA briefing room The SEALs sat around the large conference table and stared at each other. Usually they were in control of any situation they found themselves in. This time they had to wait for some paper pusher to find time in his busy day to meet with them. Adam just sat back and smiled at the image in his mind of an older gentleman getting his ass chewed out for being too cautious in the hunt for a bio-weapon. He turned his head and looked at his lovely wife Kristine. She was even calmer than he was as they waited for the Director of the CIA to arrive. Garrett Brown on the other hand was impatient as he checked his watch for the fourth time since he called Eason and told him to meet in the briefing room. "This guy is really getting on my last nerve. Sorry for the wait Adam, I'll try to call him again," Garrett said as he reached for the phone. "Don't worry about it Garrett, we can wait. Um – you wouldn't have a quarter on you by chance would you?" Adam asked. Brown handed the SEAL Lieutenant a coin and watched as he turned to Kristine. "You or me cupcake, call it in the air," he said as he flipped the coin. Kristine Dawson watched the quarter flip end over end in the air and called heads. She had a huge smile on her face because she knew what the choice was about. As Adam caught the coin, he quickly flipped it over on top of his free hand. He looked at his beaming wife and laughed to himself. She seemed far too pleased and knew she was looking forward to the outcome of the coin toss. He raised his hand slightly and peeked at the result. His mind flashed to the thought of having the assault team assembled again, but this time in the briefing room. Garrett Brown looked on with puzzlement as the husband and wife wagered over some unseen event. "Heads it is. Are you sure you wanna do this Kristine?" "Hell yes! I've been waiting years for a chance at this," she replied as she clapped her hands quickly. Garrett looked at the two of them with a concerned face. "Um – should I even ask what that was..." The conversation stopped when Director Tanner Eason entered the room carrying a stack of papers. When he saw the others in the room, he glared at Brown who had a stern look on his face. "This better be quick Garrett, I have a budget meeting on the hill in an hour." "Tanner Eason, I'd like to introduce you to Lieutenant Adam Dawson and the rest of SEAL Team Two, Alpha fire squad." Eason looked around at the SEAL team and then at Kristine. Women weren't part of the SEALs and he wondered who the hell she was. His eyes stopped on Adam, who was smiling and reached over to extend his hand. When the director didn't take it, he pulled it back but remained smiling. Kevin watched and shook his head as he stifled a laugh. "Nice to meet you Mr. Eason, your S.A.D. Director tells me you have a small problem of keeping your fire teams alive. I'm sure my men and I are capable of..." "Shut the fuck up. I don't know what Brown has told you, but you can rest assured your team's capability is of no concern to me." He quickly turned to Garrett with a glaring look. "What is a concern is what to do with Mr. Brown here for disobeying orders. For someone with thirty years in the Army, you'd think by now you would know how to follow orders from your superiors." Every SEAL in the room sat back in their chairs and looked away with a smile. They all knew their team leader would not stand to be dressed down like that in front of them. To their dismay, Adam smiled politely and sat back in his chair. Brown however was about to climb over the table and choke the bureaucrat until Adam placed a hand on his forearm and stopped him. Kristine stood up and moved away from the table. She was wearing a dark pantsuit and her hair was neatly pinned. She looked more like a CEO of a business company than a retired Intelligence Officer. "I know this is quite a surprise for you Tanner. May I call you Tanner?" "No you may not." "Great, now like I was saying Tanner, I know this is a surprise to you but don't let that stop you from doing the right thing. Mr. Brown knows that the only way he can handle this situation before it really gets out of hand is to recruit help from outside sources. I used to be a very talented Intel Officer for the CIA and I know that the higher ups frown on help." "I don't know who you are lady but this meeting is over," Tanner said as he tried to stand up but Kristine stopped him. "Please sit down Tanner or else." "Or what lady, you'll get mad?" Kristine gave him a large smile and then looked over at Kevin. "Kevin dear, would you be so kind as to get Mr. Eason's attention for me please." The Pandora Effect Ch. 03 Garrett Brown jumped at the thought of what her idea of getting his attention meant. Adam once again grabbed his arm and shook his head, indicating that he should remain still. To calm him down, he gave the S.A.D. man a knowing wink of his eye. With practiced speed, Kevin placed the muzzle of his weapon against Eason's knee and pressed slightly. Kristine circled the nervous man until she stood next to him but opposite of Alpha's point man. She placed her hands on the table and as she looked at the sweating director, her smile vanished. "I don't get mad Eason, he does, so if you don't want to limp for the rest of your useless bureaucratic life, shut up and listen. You've lost two teams already and the Brits have lost one. I promised myself I'd never work for the CIA again because of paper pushers like you. Just because you're in charge doesn't always make you right." "What's your name?" Eason asked in a shaky voice. "Kristine Dawson, but my name was Duka before I got married to the team leader over there." "Shit, I know who you are now. You're that pushy little Intel Officer that was stationed in Aviano Italy after the Predjama mission. I should have known you'd be back to cause me grief." "I like to think of myself as assertive thank you very much. Here's how this is going to go. We help Garrett and Jake Newton catch this Soviet Major and bring down the three tangos you can't seem to get. I lead all Intel on the mission, and I do mean all, because if you do something to prevent the successful execution of the mission that leads to the death of my team, I'll make sure you don't see the sun come up in the morning." The two stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. To her credit, Kristine never blinked as she held her ground, but inside she wondered if maybe she was a little dramatic. Finally, Tanner Eason looked down the table at Garrett. "Fine, have it your way Brown, but understand this. You will sign a document stating that you accept full responsibility for the mission and that you are proceeding under protest from the Director of the CIA. This disaster isn't going to be pinned on me when it goes south," he said sternly to Garrett Brown. "I figured as much, you'll have it on your desk within the hour." Tanner Eason looked at the stern faces of the SEAL team members. He realized he was in no position to argue with these people any further, so he stood and walked quickly towards the door. As he opened it, he turned back and glared at the group. Now that he didn't have a gun pointed at his knee, he felt a little braver. "When this blows up in your face Brown because you're using amateurs, I want your resignation on my desk the very next day," he spat at him and then rushed out the door. An eerie silence hung in the room as the door slammed shut. Kristine turned and glared at the S.A.D. director. Garrett saw that the entire SEAL team was watching him to make the first move. He in turn wanted to say something, but was still stunned at Kristine's performance. Seeing his astonished face, Adam broke the silence. He turned his head quickly to Kristine. "Your team? Since when did this become – your – team?" "Oh honey, did you think I carried it a little far? I mean Kevin really wasn't going to shoot him in the knee." "Yes I was," Kevin said quickly with a smile. Garrett Brown got up and walked slowly over to Kristine. He had a stern look on his face that quickly turned into the biggest smile she ever saw from him. "That was one of the greatest things I've seen in my life. You have no idea how many people you just made happy." "Thanks Garrett but the same goes for you too. I want my men back alive." "Can we get back to the point where this became your team for just a moment," Adam said with a puzzled look. Kristine looked over at her loving husband and blew him a kiss. "Still love me?" "If you two are done playing kissy face, can we please get on with the fucking briefing?" Bob Holiday said in a stern tone. The SEALs enjoyed a moment of laughter as Garrett walked to the front of the room. As he pulled a screen down, the lights in the room automatically dimmed to a soft glow. He picked up a remote off the table and pressed one of the lighted buttons on the panel. As a projector dropped from the ceiling, the screen came to life with the picture of Bashir Haddad. Kevin realized that with all probability he was looking at the human form of a fellow werewolf. "Chasing down other werewolves is getting to be old. Why can't we just go after a nice human terrorist for a change," he thought. "This is Bashir Haddad. He's the team leader of what we believe to be a single working faction out of Lebanon. He and two others have been training in Libya for the past eight years. We believe he is married to this woman, Rashida Turk. Kevin's heart sank when he heard the news. She had to know her husband was a werewolf, or, given the damage to the last team, a werewolf too. This mission was starting to worry him, as he leaned forward and stared at the photo. "Gentlemen, don't get any illusions about the fact she's a woman, she's just as capable as her husband is at killing. If you're pointing a weapon at her and she smiles, take her fucking teeth out." After going over the resume of the three terrorists, Garrett brought up the picture of Nadia Karpov. The wolf whistles filled the room and Garrett smiled at the happy SEALs. "Yeah I know, smoking hot isn't she, but this is one cold blooded bitch. She's a biochemists and she has transferred the deadliest virus known to mankind to those three terrorists." "Shit I hate being right all the time," Kristine said under her breath. John Balch had a hobby of studying known viruses and they all had some type of antidote of some kind. "Excuse me Mr. Brown, do you mean like the plague or something?" "Oh yeah, you're the new medic aren't you? You should find this fascinating then. The virus is designated as VP-137. The Russians designed it during the cold war but always kept it in the testing phase. Trust me when I tell you this virus makes the plague look like a mild case of the sniffles." Adam suddenly wished he never met this man at the Officer's Club and worried that he just put his entire team at risk. "What I'm about you show you is so fucking classified that the only way you could see it is with the President's approval. I'm about to disobey a direct order from him because I think you need to be aware of what you're up against. The knowledge of this films existence does not leave this room. Do I make myself perfectly clear?" he said as the SEALs all nodded. Garrett pressed another button as a film started playing on the screen. The scene was a bright white laboratory where a large glass maze held a single mouse. He scurried around the maze until he found the small piece of cheese hidden in a corner. As the team watched the mouse enjoy his reward, Garrett paused the film. "The virus is about to be released into the maze. If any of you feel the need, the trash can is in the corner of the room," he told them as he pressed the play button. The small white rat stood up on its hind legs and began sniffing the air. It couldn't smell the deadly tonic, just a rush of air entering his playful home. After a few minutes, the mouse started to walk away from the piece of cheese. It appeared he was having trouble breathing and wobbled as he turned in the maze. Within moments, pieces of fur started to fall from his sides. Replacing the missing fur were seeping sores that extruded small amounts of a white gooey substance. As the mouse navigated the maze, he started bumping into the clear walls as if it was his first time in the maze. He seemed confused and disoriented as he stumbled along. After a few moments, the mouse lay on his side and tried to breath, gasping for any air he could get. Suddenly the chest expanded for the last time and he was dead. John just stared at the mouse and wondered why Garrett Brown mentioned the trash can. "Wow that virus sure took effect fast. Did they create an antidote when they made it?" Balch asked. "No. The idea was to destroy the virus and wipe all records clean. You'll understand why in a few minutes. Remember the trashcan is in the corner. What you can't see right now is the recycling of all air inside the maze, and removal of the virus." The team sat quietly as the dead mouse started to decay at an accelerated pace. His small eyes sank back into their sockets and his remaining fur turned to a blackish stain. Next, they saw another similar mouse enter the maze. He was trying to reach the cheese left over from the previous lab rat, but couldn't because of a sealed doorway. "What you're seeing here is the next test subject. He can't get at the cheese but knows where it is. He knows the only way there from previous attempts is through that door, so he sits and waits for the technician to open it." After a few moments, Adam noticed a twitch from the dead rat's leg. "So the virus didn't kill him, his leg is twitching." "Films not over yet, Dawson." The disfigured mouse slowly rose and walked slowly around the maze. It no longer bumped into the walls as he made his way around. When he came upon the small piece of cheese, he sniffed it and walked away. The mouse soon saw his cellmate on the other side of the door. In a burst of speed, he moved quickly towards him and slammed his body into the protective glass. Garrett stopped the film. "I want to remind you that the knowledge of this film does not leave this room. That deformed mouse that you see clawing at the door to get to the other mouse – is dead." "That's impossible! You can see he's up and moving, pissed off, but he's moving," Adam said. "He was tested afterwards in that same condition. He has no heartbeat, no instinct to eat the cheese he left behind. The only thing left behind is a driving desire to attack the uninfected mouse." "Holy Mother of God," Bob Holiday whispered. "The virus is nicknamed Pandora. What your about to see next is called the Pandora Effect. The trash can is in the back of the room." As the dead rat attacked the glass, the other mouse became nervous and began to move away from the doorway. It seemed to sense danger and retreated to a safer distance. As the glass door slid up, the dead mouse ran after the uninfected one quickly. The uninfected white mouse scampered around the maze as he tried to find somewhere safe to go, but to no avail. When he fled into a corridor with no exit, he turned and faced the attacking mouse. As the two of them fought, the uninfected mouse received several bites and claw marks and soon succumbed to the amount of damage the other inflicted. As the bleeding mouse collapsed, the dead mouse started to eat. He first used his large front teeth to rip into the abdomen of the bleeding corpse. As the intestines spilled out onto the floor of the maze, it appeared the dead mouse was ravenous and continued to claw and dig more of the inside out. When the abdominal cavity was empty, he began picking up the pieces and devouring them. As the horrific scene unfolded, Dan Vasquez couldn't hold it any longer and quickly moved to the corner of the room and delivered the contents of his breakfast to the bottom of the trashcan. The smell of V-man's regurgitated breakfast filled the air, which caused everyone else to fight back the rising vile in their own throats. "Don't feel bad V-man, I still feel the same way every time I watch this. The films not over so if you feel you need to stay there, be my guest," Garrett said with real sympathy. Once the decayed mouse had his fill, he moved away slowly and wondered through the maze aimlessly. Kristine almost joined him and had to place her head in her hands as she watched the torn up mouse start to try to crawl through the maze. When Adam saw him dragging what was left behind of his intestines, he turned away and told Garrett to stop the film. Garrett pressed a few more buttons and the lights came on as the projector rose back up into the ceiling. As he tossed the remote on the table, he moved over to Adam and looked down at him. He was pale and Garrett could tell he was ready to join V-man at the trashcan. "If it means anything Adam, my entire team lost it as they watched the ending. Your team did a good job handling that," Garrett said as he placed his hand on Adam's shoulder. "Don't pack me on the back just yet, the day's still young," Adam replied as he tried very hard to lose his own breakfast on the large table. "Okay Brown, let me see if I have this correct. This Russian bitch concocted a virus that first, makes you sick, then kills you, then the damn shit brings you back from the dead so you can kill someone else and then transfer the virus to them so they can attack someone else?" Holiday said. "That pretty much sums it up Chief. Now you can understand why Eason didn't want any help on this one. If this got out, there would be mass hysteria around the world. People would arm themselves to the teeth and shoot anything that wondered towards them – human, or zombie." "So where do you want to start Garrett? We can't waste any more time," Adam said as he stood up. "The guard down the hall will escort you to security where you will all be issued a clearance badge. After that, I want you and Kristine to meet me in office and see if we can come up with something I might have missed. Chief can take the rest of the team and meet up with Jake to go over our weapons. I'm sure there's some down there that you've never seen before." "Alright everyone, you heard the man let's get going. V-man, you gonna be able to perform or do I need to replace you?" Adam asked as his sniper stood up and wiped his face. "I'm good to go Boss, but I think I'm going to skip lunch if you don't mind," he replied as he moved towards the others. "Adam, can I have a word with you and Kristine in private," Kevin asked. The team moved out into the hall and spotted the guard. As the door closed, Kevin turned to his team leader and friend. Other than his girlfriend Laura, they were the only ones he trusted with his secret. "L-Tee, you should know something. The three tangos are probably werewolves and since they have their hands on a virus that will kill every living thing it touches I know what they're planning on doing." "Go on Dvorska, I'm listening." "They want to kill all the humans on the face of the planet and repopulate it with werewolves. They wouldn't have to do much except sit around and wait for us to kill each other. However, here's the scary part, what would happen if a werewolf was infected like that? Can you imagine the amount of carnage a zombie-like werewolf could cause?" "No I can't Kevin so just do me a favor and don't get infected." "The other sticking point is if we come up against one of them, they will change in order to fight us off. The team is going to find out, and you and I both know that Jake and I will have to change in order to win." Kristine looked puzzled. "What do you mean you and Jake?" At that point, Kevin knew he screwed up. If they did have to change, she was going to find out sooner or later. "Sorry Kristine I let that slip, but now it's out there. Jake is a werewolf just like me. Don't worry about him though, he's on our side." Kristine looked back and forth between the two Navy SEALs. "This just keeps getting better and better all the time. Remind me to slap you both the next time you want to help someone." Outskirts of Zernove, Ukraine. General Nicholai Pudovkin cursed the situation he found himself in as he listened to the instructions from President Loginov. He wanted to retire last year and enjoy his grandchildren as he sat on his front porch. The President talked him into one more year as head of the elite Spetsnaz unit. Now, at the end of his career, he was forced to follow the most horrific order ever given to him. "...I know Mr. President, and as soon as I have any information I'll pass it on. I still have four teams clearing the area. They should be back soon, but we've lost radio contact with them," he said and then nodded his head slightly as he listened to the President. "Yes Mr. President, I know this is a delicate matter for you and I will do my best..." Suddenly, from the edge of town, General Pudovkin saw one of his Spetsnaz teams walking towards the containment line. "Mr. President, I'll have to get back to you. One of my teams is exiting the town now and as soon as I get my briefing, I'll contact you again on this line," he said and then quickly hung up his satellite phone. As the three men approached, he wondered where the others were. Each team had five members, so where were the other two? Just before they reached the containment line, one of his team leaders, Captain Gavril Moryakov, dropped to his knees and removed his gas mask. Even though his commanding General was approaching, he couldn't help it when he placed his hands on the ground and vomited. His other two comrades soon joined him. Pudovkin waited for the three to finish. He saw the tape that the research scientist made but he never saw what effect it had on humans. He took pity on the men that had to go into the town and clear it. "Gavril, where are the other teams? We lost radio contact and I couldn't risk sending more men in without a situation report." "They're – we – we were overrun Sir. Those of us that weren't dead but only wounded stayed behind to buy us time to get out," he said as he wiped his face and looked up at Pudovkin. "Sir, I know this will remove me from the Spetsnaz, but I will not go back into that town under any circumstances. My God General, they were eating them while they were still alive. What the hell happened to them?" "It's okay Gavril, I understand Comrade. Did you get the video out, or is it with one of the other teams?" Gavril removed his backpack and pulled a small video recorder out. As he handed it to the General, he had trouble keeping his hand from shaking. "The good news, if you can call it that, is that there are only about a hundred or so residents left. For some reason they seem to be gathered around the church in the center of town." "Thank you Captain, you've done a great service to your country today," Pudovkin said as he watched his team leader place his hands back on the ground and continue where he left off. ********** Kevin and the rest of the SEALs followed Jake Newton down the long bright corridor. When they came upon a door with large box on the wall, they stopped and watched as Jake leaned down and placed his eye on a small hole. Within a few moments, they heard the door unlock and open slightly. "Jesus kid, what kind of security device is that?" Bob Holiday asked. "It's kind of a James Bond type thing for the weapons locker. It's called a retinal scanner and you can't trick it or bypass it," he replied as he walked through the door. As V-man and John Balch followed, V-man leaned over to John. "You can if you have someone else eyeball with you," he said with a grin. "Is it just me Dan, or are you always this disgusting?" "Calm down there GQ, it's just a little medical humor." "I don't get it, aren't SEAL medics nicknamed Doc?" "Yeah, but the way you keep checking on how you look, I think GQ fits you better," V-man said with a laugh. Except for Adam, the team assembled around Jake and then looked at the numerous shelves and storage units. This was by far the largest weapons locker Bob Holiday had ever been in, and it showed on his face as he looked around. The Pandora Effect Ch. 03 Carl Werner was the team's heavy weapons member, and he had a look on his face like a young child in a toy store at Christmas. On a long table to the right of him, lay an assortment of heavy caliber machine guns. Some of them had tripod bases but others had a heavy-duty sling for mobility. He slowly walked over to one he'd never seen before and ran his hand over it. "I've never seen anything like this one, it kind of looks like the M249 SAW with a folding stock. What the hell is it?" Carl asked. "You have good taste in hardware Carl. It's designated the MGX. The M249 is a great little weapon for small squads, but it fires the 5.56mm round and we wanted something with a little more punch. This one has been reconfigured to fire the standard NATO 7.62mm round." Jake reached over to a shelf, pulled a large backpack down, and set it on the table. As he unzipped it, he pulled out a flexible feed chute and attached it to the MGX. "I hope you have strong shoulders Carl. This pack and feed chute allows the gunner to carry up to a thousand rounds but I wouldn't go full auto for any length of time. The SAW has a cyclic rate of about 775 rounds per minute, this baby will go 980." Carl looked at him in shock. "At that rate, how the hell do you keep acquisition on target?" Jake gave him a big smile and patted his shoulder. "Carefully, very carefully." Bob Holiday was watching the team wonder around and checking different weapons. V-man was looking through the scope of a large .50 cal sniper rifle and smiling brightly. He then saw Kevin open a gun safe and peer inside. What he saw made him laugh, as he reached in and pulled a black Desert Eagle out. As soon as he picked it up, he knew this was no ordinary Eagle. "Wow this is pretty light for Desert Eagle," he said as he palmed the .50 cal handgun. "That's my favorite weapon in here. It's made of composite polymers but can stand up to the recoil of the larger round," he said as then looked over at John Balch. "Hey GQ, do me a favor and put that steel plate over there down range. Then put that cantaloupe behind it." "I wish people would stop calling me that. I liked it better when it was just Rookie," he mumbled as he grabbed the items. Jake reached in, picked out a seven round magazine, and inserted it into the grip. He checked the safety and handed it to Kevin. "Go ahead and give the lady a dance." Kevin walked up to the counter while peering down range. He knew the Eagle could produce a tremendous amount of noise, so he put on a pair of sound suppressors and shooting glasses. He looked to the left and right to ensure the area was clear, then clicked the safety off and pointed the weapon down range. "Fire in the hole," he said and then squeezed the trigger. As the round left the end of the polygonal rifled barrel, the Eagle jumped hard in Kevin's hand. He silently wondered what kind of round he just fired because a normal Desert Eagle didn't recoil as violently. The half-inch steel plate toppled over and Kevin watched in awe as the cantaloupe exploded into small pieces. "Holy fucking shit!" Kevin said with a gasp. "Yeah, pretty cool huh?" Jake said as he looked at the demolished fruit. Kevin engaged the safety and opened the chamber. As the new round ejected, Kevin effortlessly caught the round in midair and stared at it. It looked like any normal .50 caliber round. Jake reached in and retrieved the Eagle and the round from Kevin. "Sucker had a bigger kick, didn't it?" "Damn Jake how much powder do you guys put in them?" "Actually, the CIA had them custom made for us. They're made with depleted uranium like the tank killers on the A-10 Thunderbolt. Think about it, armor piercing rounds in a Desert Eagle." Jake leaned in and whispered in Kevin's ear. "I call them – wolf killers," he said with a chuckle. "All right everyone we have the range for two hours. Familiarize yourself with any of the new toys these guys have. John, you might want Jake to take you around and find out if they have any experimental medical gear you might want to play with." "Aye, aye Chief," he replied as exited the room with Jake Newton. ********** Kristine flipped through the files on the previous attempts to capture or kill the three tangos. All workups and insertions were flawless, and all ended with the same results – death. As she moved a strand of light brown hair out of her eyes, she began to worry that Adam had signed up for a suicide mission. She laid the large folder on the table and rubbed her tired eyes. "Come on Kristine, think God damn it! There has to be a connection." "Kristine, are you okay?" Garrett asked. "Fuck no I'm not okay. None of this shit makes sense. The S.A.S went into Libya for what I can only assume was a preemptive strike before the tangos started the mission. Then you lose two teams only a hundred miles from each other. If they received the virus after the third team, do they stay or try to make it out of the country?" "I'm just speculating here, but if it was me, I'd want to test it. Maybe they only got half of the canisters and are due the rest after verification?" Adam said. "Even though they don't follow the standard procedures of any tangos I've ever hunted, it seems foolish to hang around after releasing that shit. Who in their right mind would hang around after the Pandora Effect kicked in? Those – things – wouldn't care who you were." Garrett said with a slight shudder as the thought of humans coming back from the dead. Kristine suddenly looked up and stared at Garrett hard. "What did you just say?" "What, those things wouldn't care who you were?" "No before that Garrett." "You mean about hanging around after the Pandora Effect kicked in?" "Damn, that's it! That's our break right there!" Kristine screamed as she flipped quickly through the file, searching for something. Garrett turned and leaned in to whisper something to Adam. "Tenacious little thing isn't she." "You have no idea Garrett," Adam said with a small hint of pride. Kristine found the information she wanted and quickly looked up with a smile. "Right here, this Major what's her face tried for years to expand the testing to a human subject. Every time her requests were denied at the highest levels of government. I'll bet she didn't tell Bashir about the Pandora Effect. She's not helping the fucking terrorists, she's using them to test the virus." Garrett was astounded at her ability to go through a hundred pages of Intel and pick out one report to tie it all together. "After this is all over Kristine, how would like a job?" "Trust me Garrett, after you get my bill for this job, you'll figure out you can't afford me," she snapped back and pick up the photos of the southern half of the Ukraine. "How old are these photos Garrett?" "Not sure down to the hour, but probably a week or so." "Are there any satellites in the area?" "Sure, we always have a bird around Sevastopol because of the Russian fleet stationed there." "Adam, feel like going for a walk to the situation room?" she asked with a smile. "Yeah I'd love to," he said. "Really, when did this become – her – team?" ********** Bashir zipped up the duffle bag that concealed the canister containing half of the Pandora virus. After setting it in the corner, he walked over to the table and checked Mansur's travel documents. They were flawless and would pass any inspection in case the ship came under scrutiny by officials. He tossed them back onto the table just as Mansur and Rashida entered the house. Rashida placed a full grocery bag down and began pulling the contents out. When she removed a large bottle of wine, Bashir looked at it and then back up at his mate. "Why would you pick up a bottle of wine? You know how dangerous that is during the mission." "I'm sorry my love, I just thought you and I could celebrate after the ship pulls out. It will be a great milestone for you," she replied as she cast her eyes down in a submissive nature. "You're being a little over confident about the success. Mansur, are the mercenaries here yet? I want this to go over without any problems." "It will Bashir. I've studied the control system and engineering. The mercenaries are traveling through the eastern side of the country and are due to arrive in the morning. The ship's Captain is the only one aware of us and said he was going to depart tomorrow night." "Fine, but don't kill the crew until you've reached the Mediterranean. After that, trap the Captain in one of the holds and drop a vial inside to finish the job. After you set the ship on auto pilot, destroy the radio and controls then we'll meet you in Gibraltar." "You still haven't told me what you want me to do with the mercenaries?" "Tell them we'll pick them up as they approach the coast of the United States," Bashir said as he picked up a map of Western Europe. "My love, I don't mean to sound out of line, but I thought we were going to Scotland? How will we pick them up near the coast?" "We're not my lovely mate. For all I care they can rot in a cell in America, at least for a little while until the virus takes effect. Besides, the longer they stay on the ship; they will provide protection for the canister in case it's boarded." Mansur stared at the team leader, he seemed confident about any retaliation. "Do you think it will be boarded?" "No, for two reasons. I think they got the message from their last attempt. If they didn't, they don't have anyone smart enough to track us down now that we have the virus." ********** As Kristine, Adam, and Garrett entered the dark room, Adam looked around on the back wall at the large screens. What he saw made him step back a bit, as the amount of information flashed before him. Two of the six screens had real time satellite images on them and the other four showed statistics of something Adam couldn't make out. The three of them walked further into the room. Garrett studied the two new comers as they survived the room. He always took pleasure in seeing someone's face on their first visit to the classified room. "Where in the hell did you guys get this shit?" Adam asked with awe. "What, you didn't think a two hundred dollar hammer would go to waste, did you?" Garret said. "Now that we've seen all the cool video equipment you have Garrett, can Mr. Pac-Man bring up Sevastopol now, or do I have to eat the fruit in the middle of the screen first?" Kristine asked. The three of them strode over to where an operator was tuning in one of the satellite feeds. He studied the picture then looked down at the display information, as Garrett placed himself beside him. He knew he was the best control man in the room, so he chose Jack Richards to assist Kristine in her search. "Jack, how's it going today?" "Just fine Director Brown. The SX-171 seems a little touchy today for some reason, I constantly have to tweak it." "If anyone can do it, you can Jack. How's the family doing these days? Your little girl has a birthday coming up soon doesn't she?" "Not so little anymore Director. Angie's fourteen going on thirty if you know what I mean Sir." "One of these days you have to invite me out for some of your wife's stew. I hear it's to die for." "Anytime Sir, as long as you don't bring Director Eason with you." "Jack, I brought some people down with me. I want you to meet Adam and Kristine. Kristine is helping me with the Intel on the three tangos we're after. You're the best I have down here and I want you to give her anything she asks for." Jack was in his mid-thirties and happily married. When he turned to see who Garrett was talking about, he couldn't help but think he should have waited. The woman before him was stunning, even in the business pantsuit. "Hello Ma'am, nice to meet you," he said as his voice cracked a bit. "Nice to meet you too Jack. Maybe you should just call me Kristine. It seems you're having a hard time pronouncing Ma'am at the moment." Adam couldn't help but laugh inside when other men meet his wife for the first time. He never really took any offense to their reactions. He remembered that fateful morning when he stepped out of the car in front of Predjama castle. When he first laid eyes on Kristine Duka, she looked like something sent down from heaven just for him. Garrett walked over and stood next to Adam as he watched the two Intel people get started. "Can't say I blame him Adam, but if you want, I'll have a chat with him about his manners later after you two leave." "That won't be necessary. You seem to be pretty in tune with your people Garrett, almost to the point you're not CIA." "A lesson I learned in Special Forces, treat them like people and not hired hands. They get enough bullshit from Eason when he's in here, they don't need any more from me." "Wow, I'm actually starting to like you Garrett," Adam said with a hint of laughter. "Don't let that go to your head Dawson. When I'm in the field, I'm the meanest son of a bitch within a hundred miles." "Okay Jack bring up the area around Kherson this time," Kristine said. Jack adjusted the dials on the control console and checked the image on the screen. "How's that Kristine? I can go in closer if you want." "No leave it there for a minute. I just want to look around for a moment," she said as she stepped back towards Adam. Garrett leaned over and looked at Kristine as she studied the map. "Um – Kristine, maybe it would help if we all knew what you were looking for." "Now if I were with a group of psychopath terrorists, where would I want to go," she mumbled. "Ma'am, I mean Kristine, can I say something?" Jack asked with a bit of hesitation. "Sure Jack I never turn down an opinion." "If it were me, I'd want to blend in with a lot of people. If the tangos know we're after them, they'd want to get lost in the crowd, maybe board a ship or something." "Why not drive out? You can be anywhere in Europe in just over a day," Adam replied. "Well Sir, why would you want to deal with all the checkpoints? They'd be stopped at least fifty times." "Jack's right Adam, I'd much rather take a ship out of the country. Jack what's the largest merchant terminal in the area?" Jack turned around and adjusted a few dials, then punched some numbers on the keypad nearby. The group could see the image shift to the west over the Black Sea. The SX-171 finally stopped over a large town and zoomed in. As the picture become fuzzy, Jack quickly worked the controls to sharpen the image. "That's Odessa, it controls about ninety percent of the commercial traffic in the area. They get in there, you'll never find them. There must be two hundred ships going in and out every day. Sorry Sir, I guess I talk too much," Jack said as he looked down at his control board. Garrett walked up and placed his hand on the worried man's shoulder. "Jack, the only piece of bad Intel is the one you don't share with everyone. Send a message to the team in Kherson to get over there and check it out, and I want round the clock surveillance on that port." "Right away Director Brown," he said as he quickly began working his controls. Garrett turned and looked at the husband and wife team. "You two feel like having some dinner?" "Only if it's on the Agency," Adam replied quickly. "Come on then, I know this nice little Japanese place just outside the..." Kristine grabbed Garrett's arm, preventing him from leaving. "Something's not right about all this." Garrett smiled a bit. "Yep, tenacious alright. Okay Kristine you have my attention." "You said earlier that they don't follow the same rules as any other tangos. So why would they do the smart thing and get lost in a big city?" she said quickly as she walked back up to Jack. "Jack darling could you bring that back to the east over Sevastopol?" The talented operator tried to hide his blushing face, as his deft fingers worked the control panel with meticulous ease. When the image settled, Kristine's eyes darted back and forth over the picture. "Pan to the right and zoom in a little more if you can." Within seconds, Kristine was looking at the northern half of the Black Sea. She tilted her head and continued to study the view. Adam and Garrett stood there and watched the talented Intel Officer at work. "A little more to the right and zoom in on that area around Feodosyia." When the advanced spy satellite zoomed in, the group could make out a small merchant vessel moving slowly towards Ordzhonikidze. She noticed a small pier jetting out from the shoreline. She leaned down and looked at the console, but she couldn't make heads or tails of any of the controls. "Do you have any Intel on that area Jack?" After typing something on the keyboard, a write up of the area appeared on one of the other screens. "Um – not really a lot Kristine, it appears to be just another small town along the coast. They do have one manufacturing plant there, so that's probably where that ship is headed to." "Kristine, what is it that you don't get?" Garrett asked. "You said it yourself, these guys aren't playing by the rules. Why go where we would surely look for them? Why not a quiet little town that no one bothers with?" "You can't be sure that they'll go to that little town," Adam said. "I know that Adam but just call it a woman's intuition. Jack do you have another bird that can watch that area too?" Jack turned to look at the Director of the S.A.D with a concerned expression. He knew he had another one in the area, but at what price would it be to tell two outsiders about it? He remained quiet while the Director decided on what action to take. After a few moments, Garrett nodded at his trusted operator. "Yes Ma'am. We always have a bird directly over Moscow at all times. I can have it repositioned in a few hours." Adam's eyes shot open at the revelation. "Nice to know how trusting the CIA is." "Yeah well, I'm sure they have one right on us at this very moment so we're even. There isn't much more we can do but watch, so how about we grabbed some chow?" Garrett said as he walked towards the door. "Before we go I need to get my men settled for the evening," Adam said. "Not a problem. I got everyone a hotel room about five minutes from here. My assistant will take care of transportation and I'll drop you two off after dinner." "Wow you really did think of everything. Lead on Director Brown," Kristine said with a smile as she followed the two men out of the room. Marriott Inn and Conference Center, Washington D.C. Kevin flipped through the channels on the television, while Carl pulled out two beers from the tiny refrigerator in the corner of the room. The room was well decorated and two double beds occupied most of the it. Carl looked around as he handed Kevin a beer. He'd been in the Navy for twelve years and stayed at many hotels in that time. He couldn't remember being in such a plush hotel before. "The CIA must have some deep pockets to set us all up in a place like this?" Carl said as he took a sip of his beer. "I'm just glad it's not coming out of my pay check. I wonder how our new medic is getting along with V-man? He's been giving him shit about being all GQ pretty hard." "Does seem odd that someone who's paid to play in the mud and shit worries about how he looks. Then again it could be worse." "Yeah, how's that Carl." "John could be bunking with Bob." Both SEALs roared with laughter at the thought of the rookie medic having to room with a seasoned Chief Petty Officer. Suddenly there was a knock on the door and both men palmed their weapons tucked under their shirts. If it was one of the other team members, the plan was to call first before coming over. Since they were on mission now, they couldn't take any chances. The Pandora Effect Ch. 03 Kevin looked over at Carl. When the large black male shrugged his shoulders, Kevin pulled his Sig Sauer P226 out and slowly approached the door. Carl on the other hand, dropped down to one knee and produced an equally deadly .45 caliber Colt and pointed it at the center of the door. Kevin stepped to one side just in case rounds started flying through the wood door. "Can I help you?" he asked as he pulled the hammer of the weapon back. "Kevin, is that you honey? It's me, Laura." Kevin couldn't take any chances even though it sounded like her. "What happened last night after we left the Officer's club?" "What the hell are you talking about? We weren't at the O-club and you perfectly well know what happened afterwards," she said in a stern voice. "Answer the question or this door is about to become Swiss cheese." "Why are you so upset baby? We were at Jackie's and when we got home we had – you know – s-e-x." Kevin quickly opened the door and pointed his weapon in Laura's face. The second he realized it was her and she was alone, he pulled her in quickly and slammed the door shut. Laura was startled by the quick actions of her soul mate. She jumped back against the closed door when she saw Carl lowering his weapon. "Jesus Christ Laura what the hell are you doing here? You almost got yourself killed," Kevin said with distinct anger in his voice. "Don't be mad Kevin, Kristine called and said it would be okay to come up." Laura looked back and forth between the two SEALs as they stuffed their weapons back under their shirts. When Kevin walked back towards the center of the room, Laura followed meekly behind him. When she looked at Carl, he gave her a large smile to try to calm her down. He knew she was still frightened about almost being shot. "Nice to see you again Laura. We got some cold beer in the ice box," Carl said happily. "Um – yeah – thanks Carl." When he handed her a beer, she took a long drink to settle her nerves. She pulled the can away and took a deep breath, then looked at Kevin with pleading eyes. Kevin saw that look before, the same one every time she becomes scared of losing him. "So how's my little muffin today?" he asked as he let a smile cross his face. Laura darted towards her love with lighting speed. As her body slammed into his, they toppled back onto the soft bed. With his superior strength, Kevin easily sat back up and grabbed the can of beer before she spilled it. "Easy there little lady, I gotta sleep in this tonight. I don't need it soaked in beer so bad to where I have to sleep on the floor." "I'm sorry Kevin, I just wanted to see you. I didn't mean to..." "I'm not mad at you Laura, it just took me by surprise I guess. What's really strange is I should have known it was you." "I could tell it was her Kevin. I'd know that squeaky little voice anywhere," Carl said as he sipped his beer. "Does anyone know you're here besides Kristine?" "I didn't tell a soul sweetie, I promise." "What do you think Carl? Is she telling the truth, or should we interrogate her for information?" Kevin said with a wink. Carl's face became very serious. "I doubt we can trust her Kevin. With those looks, she was probably sent by her handler to get close to us and then take us out." Laura looked puzzled as she went back and forth between them. "What are you two talking about? I don't have a handler, Kristine called me and said I should come up." "You're probably right Carl. I bet she'd talk if we started pulling her fingernails out one by one." "My fingernails? Kevin I..." "I think we'd get a lot farther if we just use our knives," Kevin said as he quickly grabbed her arms. "What – Kevin – what are you doing? It's me, Laura!" The two SEALs started laughing at the struggling woman. Kevin released her as Carl came over and patted her shoulder. "Oh calm down Laura, we were just having some fun. All work and no play make SEALs grouchy. Are you staying the night?" "I was hoping to, but if you guys don't think it's a good idea I'll head back to Little Creek," she said in a shy voice. "I tell you what Kev, I'll call Bob up and head to his room for the night. I'll explain the situation when I get there. Why don't you two catch up on family matters alone, because I'm not staying up all night listening to other people moan when I can't get any," Carl said as he picked up the phone. ********** Kristine stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around her shapely body. With it securely in place, she began to run another towel through her wet hair. Adam walked into the bathroom with two glasses of wine and set one on the sink. "I called the front desk, they said a woman asked for Kevin's room." "Thanks for the wine dear. I just thought that with what we're going against, Laura should be with Kevin if it was possible." "What – we're – up against? Can we just get back to the conversation of when this became – your – team again?" ********** Laura lay back on the soft mattress. There were two pillows under her head, which propped her up slightly. As she gazed into her lovers eyes, she never knew more peace than she felt at this very moment. "I – I wish I could tell you how much I love you Kevin." Kevin ran his fingers across her cheek as he looked at the burn scars on the top of her head. She wore her wig to cover her pain, but Kevin loved her for who she was on the inside. She accepted the fact he was a werewolf, capable of killing a human within seconds. He fell in love with her, because in some ways, they were the same. He never asked for this gift, as his father Luka always called it. There were times in his life when he wished he were just like every other kid in town. Laura was the same way, always self-conscious about who she was and how she looked. She too wanted to be just another girl who had a life filled with joy. "I think I know just how much you love me sweetheart. I don't think I could ever live my life without you," Kevin said as he softly kissed her lips. When she felt his lips upon hers, she placed a hand on the back of his head and returned the kiss. It wasn't a kiss of need or want, it was a kiss of unwavering love. The kind of kiss that happens when two souls join together as one entity, then swirl around like a beacon of hope for humanity. Kevin rose up slightly, breaking the bond between them. The look of unconditional love filled her eyes, as she peered back up at him. "I know I could die happy in your arms Kevin." "Oh Laura, you're gonna grow old and leave this world happy, and I can only ask one favor of you." "I – I would do anything for you my love." "Promise me when this is all over, you and I will grow old together and watch sunsets forever." "I swear on my life," she said as she pulled him down and kissed him deeply. As the two kissed, Kevin moved his hand to her pert breast. While he toyed with her hard nipple, she moaned her approval onto his pressing lips. Kevin moved his hand from her throbbing nub and slowly caressed her supple body as it inched downward. When Laura felt his gentle touch move lower, she opened her legs slightly. Kevin softly nuzzled her neck as he moved his hand lower across her body. Laura allowed him access to her moist opening and moaned even louder as she pulled him closer. His tongue danced against her skin as he gently slid two fingers inside his lover's body. As she felt her lips stretch apart, she whimpered softly with the need to feel her soul mate inside her. Laura tried to get her sense of urgency across to Kevin by arching her hips up. Kevin smiled inside but continued to slowly build her climax. He wasn't in the mood for hard sex, but instead, a soft loving union between two people who cared deeply for one another. "I love you Laura," he said as he nibbled her ear. "I – I love you so – oh God what are you doing to me?" she replied as she felt his thumb flick her extended clit. "I think they call if foreplay." Kevin slid down her writhing form and captured one of her nipples between his lips. "This isn't foreplay, it's some form of sexual torture." Kevin continued lower, taking his time to place soft kisses as he went. Laura's body quivered as she felt his warm breath against her skin. She moved her hands downward, then ran her fingers through his trimmed hair. Kevin felt the pressure she applied but resisted the temptation to move quicker. Kevin soon reached her pussy, but he dipped his head lower and ran his moist tongue along the inside of her milky thigh. Laura scooted her body lower, trying to place his mouth where she needed it. When she realized she couldn't because of his probing fingers, she whimpered her displeasure. "Kevin, if you truly love me then don't make me wait." Kevin looked up and made eye contact with his soul mate. Her bottom lip was quivering in anticipation and she had a pleading look on her face. As he pulled his finger free of her dripping entrance, he methodically moved up her body. His eyes remained locked with hers, watching them fill with unconditional love. He was half way up, when he used his superior strength to twist around and place her on top of his chiseled body. During the switch, the two lovers never blinked and continued to gaze upon one another. No words were spoken, no wants revealed, just a realization of the love they shared. Kevin placed his hands on her slender hips, guiding her down. When she felt his thick cock slid between them, she allowed her saturated lips to glide across it while massaging her sensitive clit. Laura moved back and forth, effectively lubricating the hard shaft and head. Kevin allowed her to work her body as she saw fit. He wanted to give her the opportunity to set the pace. When she moved her hips up, she went further this time and moved just above the leaking tip. Slowly, she reached around and moved him slightly up. With the tip just starting to separate her lips, she released it and inched down. Kevin moved his hands and intertwined his fingers with hers. While looking into his loving eyes, she moved down and allowed a quarter of the thick pole to penetrate deeper. Since the very first time they shared each other, Laura was never able to take every inch of him inside her. It wasn't because she didn't want to, it was due to the extreme girth at the base. She never thought he was deformed it was just who he was, a loving werewolf who just wanted to be loved in return. When she leaned up, Kevin knew what she was preparing to do. "Laura, you don't have to do this. I don't want to hurt you sweetheart." "Oh my darling, I wish I could find the words to tell you how I feel. The amount of love in your eyes could fill every lonely heart in the world. I want to take it all, every thick inch of your cock." Her deep blue eyes stared into his as she lowered her body. There was a slight twinge of pain as her body accepted him and she had to pause for a moment. Kevin could feel the heat coming off her body as her slick, glove-like pussy engulfed him. He was about to stop her when she bit her lower lip, but she tightened her fingers around his and continued her decent. When she had three quarters of his cock inside her, she knew she would soon pass into uncharted feelings. "I love you Kevin Dvorska," she whispered as she allowed her body to fall down. Even though he was enormous, she took him inside her willing body despite the pain she felt. When Laura finally had him fully embedded within her, the undying love she felt in her heart washed away any pain she felt between her shaking legs. Kevin stared at her with astonishment at the large task his lover had accomplished. In all his life, in all his travels, he had never known such contentment as he did when he was with her. As she started to rock back, he felt the tip of his cock brush up against her cervix. He realized that being that close to the entrance of her womb she could bear his child. The world seemed to fade away as his mate brought them closer to edge, and he secretly hoped that one day soon he could bounce his child on his knee. "Oh my God, I did it Kevin! I took your cock all the way in!" she moaned aloud. Laura raised herself up to where the tip was just inside her now stretched pussy. After taking a deep breath, she lowered herself down faster this time. As she felt the head of his cock nudge her cervix, she shuddered with ecstasy. She quickly pulled up and smiled at Kevin, who was staring at her with astonishment. "You better be careful there gorgeous, we wouldn't want anything to happen to where you have to see a doctor." "Like if I do this?" Laura jammed her pussy down quickly then pumped her hips back and forth. Kevin started breathing hard as his lover used his cock as a battering ram. Sweat was starting to drip off her forehead, as she assaulted him, and her breathing was becoming labored as well. She wanted to cum, and cum hard for her lover. Laura fought with all her might not to cum too quickly, but the battle soon became a lost cause. Within moments, the pressure of her tightness began to take its toll on the two lovers. When Laura looked down, she saw her reflection within Kevin's moist eyes. At first, she wondered if she did something wrong, then understood that the tears forming in his soft brown eyes were of love. As Kevin watched her push past the pinnacle of her climax, he never broke eye contact with her. Her elfin body vibrated slightly as the hot liquid flowed from deep inside her. The soft glove feeling soon turned into a vise like grip, effectively milking him over the edge. When the first blast coated her cervix, a single tear rolled down the side of his tanned cheek. Laura's orgasm intensified when she saw the single droplet of moisture slide down. Even if heaven had granted her the power, she couldn't control the same tears that fell from her loving eyes and landed on Kevin's chest. When the world stopped spinning, she moved her body down and nestled herself against him. "I – I don't know – I don't..." Kevin stroked her hair softly as he held her close. "You don't have to know anything my love. You just have to believe that if two people were meant to be in love, you and I are those two people." Laura moved closer to his ear and kissed him softly. "Promise you'll never leave me Kevin. Promise I'll die happy in your arms." "My job, the things I have to..." "Please, I just need to hear them. I need you to tell me you'll always be there for me." Kevin knew it was a SEALs worst nightmare to have to make a promise like that. One screw up, one false step, one missed detail and the promise would never be kept. He wondered how many SEALs had come before him and had been asked to make the same promise, a promise that no Navy SEAL could keep. "I swear on my trident, I will never leave your side," he told her as he pulled in closer to him. It had been some time, since Kevin gave her the comforting sleep she so longed for. As she began to drift off to the land of dreams, he transformed into his true and only self. When his human body faded to that of a large brown werewolf, he shifted and placed a large powerful paw across her body. Laura smiled as she felt his soft fur caress her silky skin. Now with her head slightly raised from the increased mass of his arm, she moved her hand to his protruding muzzle. As she ran it lovingly across him, his long wet tongue reached out to lick her. As the two soul mates drifted off, they each wondered if the other knew just how lucky they were to have found each other. For those of you that made it through the lab rat scene, thanks for reading. Chapter 4 will be out soon, but I have a feeling I'm gonna upset some of you. Please don't forget to vote and leave me a note to let me know how I did. The Pandora Effect Ch. 04 To those of you who follow my work, thank you in advance. Dawn, once again, great job and I'll get number 5 to you quickly so you don't have to wonder. Please don't forget to leave me love notes at the end. Situation Room, CIA Headquarters, Langley Virginia. Jack Richards sipped at the cold coffee as his eyes traveled back and forth between two large screens showing the images of Odessa and Ordzhonikidze. Since Kristine was only worried about some small merchant ship, he had the spy satellite zoomed in on the vessel and loading area. The one on Odessa was panned out farther to allow the trained operator to view most of the shipping traffic there. With one of Garrett Brown's Intel teams there, hopefully nothing would get by them. Jack knew it was a long shot to find three terrorists in such a large port and he kept going over escape plans in his head, trying to figure out their next move. Suddenly something caught his eye on the screen displaying Ordzhonikidze. A group of fifteen men carrying duffel bags strode onto the gangway to board the ship. Jack fumbled with the idea that maybe they were just part of the crew, but if that were the case, why did they all carry large briefcases with them? He placed the cold coffee to the side and worked a large dial on the face of his console. When he still couldn't get the resolution correct for a clear image, he pressed his mike button. "Billy, can you see if you can clear that up on screen two any further?" "I'll try Jack, but that damn thing is two hundred miles up," his assistant replied. As the image faded in and out, Jack's frustration grew. Finally, it settled down and Jack started to make out facial images of the men that stood on the main deck and looked around. They were looking as if they were studying the vessel instead of boarding for trip. He saw a tall well-built man, look down at the pier, and nod his head. When Jack turned the view towards the pier, he almost came out of his seat. He saw the distinct image of Bashir Haddad talking to Mansur Alba. Then a woman walked into the view but she had her back to the satellite. With the two men in plain view, it could only be one female, Rashida Turk. As he reached quickly for the phone, he knocked the cup of coffee over, sending its cold contents to the glossy floor. When the station's operator came on, he practically screamed into the handset. "Get me Director Brown, and hurry it up!" ********** Mansur Alba felt very uncomfortable with the large backpack strapped to his body. Even though the virus was safely contained, he still wanted to stow it and get away from the deadly disease as fast as he could. "Okay Mansur, I'm trusting you to accomplish this. If anything should go wrong, kill everyone on board and bring the virus back to us." "I know the plan Bashir. You've had me go over it for the last two days now." Rashida touched her mates arm to get his attention. "Don't worry my love. I'm sure the Americans are looking for us in Odessa. Your plan is fool proof and we have covered every detail a hundred times." "I know you believe that Rashida, but no plan is ever fool proof. With any luck, in a week or so no one in the world will be able to stop the mass hysteria that will arise from the bodies of the dead scattered about the world." "Well then, I guess I'll see you two in Gibraltar, in a few days," Mansur said as he shook hands with his team leader. "Just be sure to trap the crew in one of the holds. You should stop hearing them scream in a day, after that, let the Americans find their rotting corpse lying there. If you want, keep one of the women alive long enough to play with, you've earned it." Mansur turned to board the Naqada and start the first leg of a mission that had been in planning for two years now. As he looked up at the mercenaries gathered on the main deck, he wondered if they realized none of them was ever going to get off the small merchant ship alive. ********** Garrett Brown hung up the phone and then quickly picked it back up and dialed the Marriott Inn. When the front desk answered, he asked to be redirected to Adam Dawson's room. "Ummm – hello." "Dawson, wake and get your team together. Don't use the cars I provided, I'll send a van to pick you all up." "What is it Garrett?" "Jack found the packages." Adam shot out of bed and reached for his pants. "Have that van here in fifteen minutes." ********** Kevin smiled brightly as he saw Laura chasing the two small children around the front lawn. All three of them laughed and screamed at each other as he rocked back and forth on the porch swing. When he looked up into the sun-filled sky, he thought he heard a noise. He turned his head to try to tune it in, but it sounded like a phone ringing. "That's impossible, we live in the middle of nowhere, and we don't have a phone." Kevin smiled at Laura as she looked up from being tackled by the two small children. He stood and went inside and followed the ringing sound. When he went into the kitchen, he saw a large old style phone sitting on the counter next to a large salt and pepper grinder. He had a puzzled look on his face as he picked it up. "Hello?" "Kevin, get dressed and meet the team in the lobby in ten minutes. We're heading out," Adam Dawson said quickly. "Lobby? Heading out where? Who is this?" "What? Kevin, snap to it damn it. What the hell's wrong with you?" Kevin shook his head and looked around. He saw his love Laura sleeping quietly in the large bed. "Huh, um – sorry Adam, I'll be right down." Kevin hung up the phone and grabbed his pants. Laura began to stir and rolled over on her side. As she raised herself up, the crisp white bed sheet slipped down, revealing her small breasts. He reached over and turned a small lamp on beside the bed. "What is it Kevin?" she asked in a sleepy voice. "Duty calls sweetheart. I tried to tell you what my life as a SEAL was like. Now you get to see it firsthand. Go back to sleep and you can head back to Little Creek in the morning." "I love you Kevin. Please be..." "Laura, don't make this out to be anything but what it is – my job. I'll be just fine and I'll see you as soon as I can." Kevin leaned down and kissed her lips softly, than darted out of the room. Laura lay back down and hugged the pillow that her soul mate slept on. As she hugged it close, a single tear rolled down her cheek and finally dripped of her small button nose. When she closed her eyes, she tried desperately to slip back into the peaceful dream she was having. The laughing and playful children that tackled her to the ground as Kevin looked on from the front porch swing. 0300 hrs, Sub level two briefing room, CIA Headquarters. The room was dimly lit as the still photos of the Naqada took up most of the white screen. Alpha fire team studied every detail of the photo as Garrett pointed out the large number of rigging lines and obstacles. Next up was a photo of what could only be described as hired mercenaries. Garrett pointed out a number of briefcases, probably containing automatic weapons. V-man saw one of the men had a long black bag slung over one shoulder. He memorized his counterparts face, as he was sure to come across him again. "...and the latest Intel has the Naqada leaving port a little less than an hour ago," Garrett said as he turned the lights back on and turned towards the SEAL team. "We could use a HALO insertion to board the ship. We could probably take out half the mercs before even touching down," Jake said quickly. "All that rigging makes it a risky insert. We get tangled in that shit and we might as well shoot a flare up to signal our arrival," Bob Holiday added. Garrett walked around the large conference table and stared hard at Adam Dawson. Their eyes locked on each other and Adam could tell he was unsure about how to proceed. This was his best chance to take down at least one of the elusive terrorists; he did not want to fail. "Thirty years in the Army didn't make me much of a water guy. This is your team, so you make the call Dawson." "Well we could have the local police slow the ship down some in the straits by Istanbul, but that might tip our hand. That moron could let the virus out once he realizes that we know where he's at. I think a HALO drop is our best option for surprise." "Your team Chief thinks the rigging would get in the way," Garrett said as he looked over at Bob. "I'm not talking about landing on the ship. We land a few miles behind the ship after it enters the Mediterranean Sea. The Navy always has a Los Angeles class sub in the Eastern Med. We get word to them to pick us up and we insert from behind them with a zodiac." Every member of SEAL Team Two Alpha squad looked at the team leader. Bob Holiday had been a SEAL for a long time and never had he ever heard of such an insertion. He was well versed in High Altitude Low Opening jumps, along with deployment from a submerged submarine, but never together. "Um – L-tee, I don't want to sound like a rookie here but I don't remember practicing that one," Bob said. Adam stared hard at Garrett Brown. "You haven't Chief, I just made it up. Anyone who has a concern should speak up now." When no one spoke up, Adam looked at Jake Newton. He was well trained when it came to Force Recon, but could he handle keeping up with the Navy SEALs, even if he was part werewolf. Jake showed no emotion as he sat back in his chair. Garrett turned to look at his own trusted point man. "Jake, you up for this or do you want to sit this one out?" "I'm up for it. I was just thinking about how fun it would be to try something out of a James Bond movie." "Okay people, let's get our gear and assemble in the loading area in thirty minutes. I'll have the G4 standing by at the airfield. The insert aircraft will be a C-130 out of Sigonella Italy. Kristine, you run Intel and ops control from here. I'm sure Jack could find you a chair to use next to his terminal," Garrett told the assault team. The team filed out but Kevin grabbed Kristine's arm softly. When she turned around, he had a serious face. No words were spoken, as he pulled her hand out and placed an envelope in her palm. She turned it over and read the single word on the outside – Laura. "No Kevin, I can't – I can't do this. There must be someone else who can..." "Outside the team, you're the only one I trust who could do it. Don't look so shocked, someone has one for you too," Kevin said as he touched her cheek. "Do me one favor then, Kevin." "If I can." "Kill that fucking werewolf and bring my husband back." 24 hours later, over the Eastern Mediterranean, altitude 31,000 feet. The team sat quietly as they collected their thoughts. Adam looked over at his team's medic, John Balch. Normally he would have checked him out in all aspects of an insertion before joining the team, but his impressive medical skill made him an easy choice. He unstrapped his seat belt and walked over to him. "GQ, I know you haven't been through this to an extent to where you're qualified yet. Are you going to be up for this? I need to know I can count on every member of my team," Adam said in a voice loud enough to get over the engine noise. "Piece of cake Sir. It's just like doing it at 10,000 feet except you're on oxygen for this one. I just hope you guys don't slow me down any, I'd hate to show you old farts up on my first mission," he replied with a smile. Adam smiled back at him and was about to respond to his improved bravado when the aircrafts Crew Chief tapped him on the shoulder. He leaned in close and told the team leader they were three minutes out from the exit point. Turning to the assault team, he held up three fingers and screamed out to do an equipment check. Everyone stood up and checked each other's chutes and oxygen equipment. Once the checks were complete, everyone gave a thumbs up. Kevin reached down to the weapon that was strapped to his leg and checked the security of the Desert Eagle. Once he was satisfied that it would stay put during the three and a half minute free fall, he tightened the mask on his face. The Crew Chief walked aft and actuated the ramp and hatch. He held tightly to the bulkhead as the air rushed out, then waited for the pilots command. Adam looked behind him at the faces of the team. They seemed to act as if this was just a normal day. Garrett and Jake looked relaxed, but their eyes gave them away – the nervousness showed. He turned back and stared into the moonless night. The low overcast clouds would conceal any stars that might silhouette their bodies as they entered the water. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the green jump light come on and immediately dove out into the eerie blackness. Lieutenant Adam Dawson tried to control his body position as he fell back to earth at 226 feet per second. The wind whipped at his insulated suit and he tapped the glass face of his altimeter to clear the ice off. He turned his head to the left to see Jake staring back at him. He gave him a thumbs up to show he was okay. As he looked around at the others, he could see their bodies buffeting against the force of the air hitting them like a shotgun blast. He looked to his immediate right and found the new medic, John Balch. He nodded his head and then began clapping his hands rapidly. Adam laughed into his mask. He knew if John could take off his mask, he would have a big smile on his face. Probably would look like a dog with his head stuck out of the window as his owner drove down a country road. Dawson checked his altitude again, as he broke through the cloud cover. They were at 8700 feet and he could start to make out the running lights of the Naqada. He gave the team the signal and everyone flew their bodies to a safer distance for opening the chutes. They continued past the merchant vessel and when they reached two thousand, every member of the team pulled the ice-cold metal handle of their ripcords. As the black chutes appeared, Adam did a count and he was one short. Carl Werner was tumbling out of control as the fouled parachute fluttered uselessly above him. Bob also saw the troubled gunner falling rapidly. He was helpless to do anything but watch as Carl continued downward. "Pull the reserve God damn it! Pull – pull the fucking cord Carl!" Adam screamed into the night air. Suddenly, they could make out the reserve chute deploy and billow open a mere hundred feet above the water. They all watched as the muscular black SEAL hit the water hard, but it was too dark to see if he got clear of the silk chute. When the team splashed down, John quickly released his Koch fittings and swam under the water for a few yards. When he thought he was safe, he surfaced and swam as fast as he could to Carl's impact area. He saw his new friend had cleared his chute but was floating face up as the water splashed around him. John quickly grabbed his arm and pulled him around. "Carl – Carl can you hear me, Carl!" "Yeah I can hear you GQ. Keep screaming at me like that, and so will the tango's you dumbass," he whispered, as the medic ran his hands skillfully over Carl's body. Adam was the next to reach the two SEALs. "Carl, Jesus Carl you okay?" "I will be when the rookie here stops feeling me up like I'm his prom date. That was fun Boss, can we do it again after we kill all the bad guys?" he said with a large fake smile. "Sure Carl, just for you buddy. Everyone else okay?" he asked the assembled team. "Alright Dawson, you got us all wet and we're now three miles behind the ship. Where's our ride, or do you intend on floating around until the sun comes up?" Garrett asked. "Don't get your panties in a wad just yet Garrett." Adam produced what looked like a normal flare, but this one had a button on the bottom of it. After he pressed the rubber coated switch, Adam let it dangle from his equipment harness about two feet beneath the surface of the water. USS Tarpon Springs (SSN-745), 4 miles behind the Naqada. Commander Michael Reinhardt studied the charts he had strewn across the table. As he flipped through them, he dropped the flash message he received on the deck. When he reached down to pick it up, he suddenly found himself staring at a pair of shinny steel toed boots. He stood up and glared at his Executive Officer, Lieutenant Jack Walsh. "What is it XO? More stupid requests from the higher ups?" "Skipper, sonar reports two splashes in the water a thousand yards ahead, bearing 090 degrees. He said he had on small one and about five seconds later on really big one." "Could be the target we're shadowing just throwing out the trash. Was there anything else?" "Just the splashes Skipper. I'll have sonar track..." Suddenly a voice came over the squawk box. "Con, sonar." "Go ahead Richardson." "Con, I have a submerged pinger bearing 090. Sounds like it's in the same spot as the splashes I just picked up." "Roger that Richardson. Report all contacts." "Sir, my only contact is tango 137, six thousand yards, bearing 089." "Sounds like the crazy fuckers we have to pick up are here. XO, bring the boat to periscope depth and move us to within fifty yards of the contact. Once you have us in close brings us up nice and quiet." Commander Reinhardt tossed the flash message on the table and picked up his cup of coffee. As he took a long drink, he had but a single thought. "I'm going to get these guys on board, whoever they are, and then I'm gonna beat the shit out of them for compromising my boat." ********** Jake floated over to Kevin, who was watching the Naqada as she moved farther away. "Um – I don't want to sound ungrateful for getting me out of the office, but are we getting out of the fucking water anytime soon?" "Take it easy Jake. What would you want to do, change and howl into the water?" he whispered. "That's not a bad idea. I like it when I'm my real self." "You are your real self. The other part is what scares the shit out of people to where you have few, if any, real friends," Kevin shot back. "Dude you really need to get in touch with your inner..." "Hey, if you two are done contemplating the meaning of the universe over there, you might want to look for a submarine that might be nearby," Bob said sternly. "Sure think Chief," Jake replied as he stuck his head underwater. When he came back up, he shook his wet hair out of his eyes. "Sorry Chief, I didn't see one around, but I'll keep looking." "Dvorska, remind me to stick a pencil flare up his ass when we get on board," Bob replied sarcastically. Quickly, Jake turned towards a strange sound coming from behind them. With his acute vision, he saw bubbles coming up from the rolling water. A few moments later a large black sub rose eerily out of the water. They had no lights on, but the team could make out the silhouette of a Los Angeles Class Attack Sub floating about fifty yards away. "What did I tell you Garrett, curb side service at its best," Dawson laughed as he began swimming towards the sub. ********** Reinhardt spun slowly in a circle as he peered through the night vision capable periscope. When he saw the area was clear, he called for his Chief of the Boat, Master Chief Jerry Stewart. "COB, get a team together and get those dumb fuckers inside quickly." "Aye, aye Skipper." "One more thing COB, if they give you any shit, toss them back in the water and shut the hatch." "Yes Sir, not a problem." ********** The dark haired angel looked down into the mist with a worried look. He knew this might be the human's last chance to stop the destruction of their race. He could only pray that the addition of the two peaceful werewolves would be enough to stop the evil. His thoughts were interrupted when Gabriel walked slowly towards him. The Pandora Effect Ch. 04 "Has there been any progress yet?" "Not yet Gabriel. The team has just been picked up, it should start soon though. I just pray that he could do more to help them." "I've already told you before. He's done all he's going to do," Gabriel replied with an authoritative voice. "Maybe it will be enough with Newton and Dvorska along with them." "Ah yes, Dvorska, I've met his father a few times. He has a strange sense of humor that one does." "I agree Sir, but Marta is the sweetest being up here in my opinion. I'll continue to monitor the situation and let you know if there's a change." ********** Commander Reinhardt walked into his stateroom, followed by a dripping Adam Dawson and Garrett Brown. As they toweled their hair, Reinhardt closed the door and locked it. The two operators could tell he was not a happy camper when he turned around. "Now would you mind telling me who the hell you guys are and what you're doing on my boat!" "Sorry for the lack of info Commander. I'm Lieutenant Dawson and this is Mr. Garrett. I'm with..." "Excuse me Lieutenant. Did you just say – Mr. – Garrett?" "Yes Sir, he's with me and it's better if we leave it like that. I'm with SEAL Team Two and we need the gear on your boat to get aboard the Naqada as quickly as you can get us close." "You wouldn't mind filling me in on why you need to get on..." Reinhardt started to ask but Garrett quickly cut him off. "Yes, he would Commander. I'm under orders by the President to stop the people on that ship and retrieve or destroy the package they have." "Fine – Mr. – Brown, but let's get something straight right now. You clowns get my boat compromised, I won't care if you're under orders from God, I'll leave you in the middle of the Med to die." "Fair enough. You only have to follow it until we recover the package and then we head to the nearest port, after that you'll never see us again," Garrett said. "Hell, I'm sorry I met you now. When do you want to deploy?" "Just as soon as you can get us to within three hundred yards," Adam said quickly, hoping to defuse the tension growing in the room. "Then have your men ready to go in thirty minutes – Lieutenant," the Commander said and then walked out of the stateroom. ********** The large dark brown werewolf lay on the cold steel deck. He had his massive head resting on top of his powerful front leg and breathing deeply. He knew he could trust the guard at the hatch to keep it secure as requested. Even though Kevin didn't understand why Jake needed to change into his deadly other form, he allowed him to remain undisturbed for a brief period of time. Jake craned his fur-covered head, as his large pointed ears twitched to tune in the conversation just outside the tightly secured hatch. He could hear Bob Holiday questioning Kevin about the need for security on the hatch when they were about to deploy. He knew he was safe when he smelled the wet body of Director Brown approach. "Give it a rest Chief, Jake always does this before we insert. He goes off somewhere quiet for about ten minutes and then when he gets back he's probably the most alert point man I've ever seen." "I doubt that Brown. I've seen Dvorska here sniff out shit that would get most teams killed. There's no way that Marine is better than him," Bob said defiantly. Adam placed his hand on his team Chief's shoulder. "If you two are done, we now have fifteen minutes to get to the lockout chamber. Kevin, get Jake out of there so we can get this over with." Kevin gave three knocks on the steel hatch then walked away with his team leader. Within moments, Jake exited the small space and followed the rest of the group to the lockout chamber. Now that he was in tune with his werewolf senses, he would be able to notice any danger that might be lurking around them. ********** Mansur Alba looked down from the bridge of the Naqada towards the bow of the ship. Even though he couldn't see the canister, he knew the deadly virus was safely secure. Once the vessel rammed into any structure, it would release the disease upon the unsuspecting humans. Bashir's plan was working brilliantly. Soon, werewolves would become the dominate species of the world. He turned his head and tried to hear the screams of the crew locked below. It had been some time since the noise stopped and he knew their rotting corpses now occupied the aft hold. He looked down to the tearful face of the woman who lay bound and gagged on the floor. "Why do you worthless beings cry all the time? Just accept what's going to happen to you. I promise after I'm done using your body for my pleasure, I'll kill you quickly." ********** Alpha fire team, along with Garrett and Jake, checked all the scuba equipment and waited for the go signal from Commander Reinhardt. Everyone was quiet as they each thought about their particular assignments. Garrett knew he had one more piece of information to divulge to the SEALs, he just didn't know how to put it. Suddenly the internal com system went off. Adam opened the waterproof compartment and picked up the handset. "Roger that Commander, two minutes. Should take us about an hour to clear the ship and get out." Adam secured the phone and looked at his men. As usual, they seemed cold as ice as they prepared to deploy. Garrett on the other hand couldn't hold the statement any longer. "There's one more thing gentlemen." "We're about to deploy Garrett. You've picked a hell of a time to add to the situation," Adam said. "I have to be up front with you guys. We've all seen what that shit does to mice. My guess is that the crew is dead, maybe even turned by now. If you encounter them, don't hesitate to kill them. One other thing, if Mansur did release the Pandora virus on the crew I have orders to sink that ship and everyone on it." "Do you really think that maniac let that shit loose while still on board?" Carl asked. "I can only assume he did. If that's true and anyone of us are infected, I won't hesitate to put a bullet in through your brain, so use your masks at all times. I expect the same from each of you if it hits me. Trust me you'd be doing me a favor." Suddenly, a green light illuminated on the control panel and the team put the mouthpieces in. As Adam pushed the large red button, the lockout chamber began to flood with seawater. Within just a few moments, the chamber was totally consumed and Chief Bob Holiday opened the hatch to the outside world of the Mediterranean Sea. ********** One of the mercenaries, Raul Comceck, tossed his pair of Queens on the table in disgust. It was the fourth hand in a row he had lost to his acquaintances. As he stood up, he glared at the group as he watched his money being pulled over to the winner. "It's a good thing I have to relieve Wilhelm topside, or I'd beat every one of you for cheating me out of my money." "Don't be a sore loser Raul. We're going to be on this rat trap for another week so you'll have plenty of time to get your money back," one of them said. Raul walked out, ignoring the group who were all smiles as they counted their winnings. As he walked towards the ladder that would bring him to the next level, he started to smell a foul odor. He instantly recognized it as that of rotting flesh and wondered if they should start sleeping outside on deck. "I know I won't be able to stand that smell for another week," Raul said to himself. ********** The last man to climb into the Zodiac was John Balch. After he checked his MP5, he looked at Bob who would be his teammate as they went below decks. He nodded his head at the young medic while Carl turned the throttle on the outboard motor. With the muffler installed, it was almost silent as the team headed towards the darkened ship. It took little time to come within a hundred yards of the stern where a mounted ladder awaited the SEALs. Adam brought the handheld starlight scope up and placed his eye to the night vision device. As he scanned the main deck, he saw two roving guards on either side and one positioned high on the superstructure. "Okay V-man, time to show the CIA your sniper skills. I have two tangos on the main deck. The one on the port side is walking away and should be clear any second. The starboard guy is lining up for a clean shot. I also have one high on the port side of the superstructure, looks like he's the sniper." Dan Vasquez unzipped the waterproof bag that held the SR-25 silenced sniper rifle. Once the high powered night vision scope was in place, he raised the weapon to his shoulder. The small zodiac was bouncing and V-man had a hard time keeping his target in acquisition. "Damn Carl, think you can make it rougher? Kevin, I could use a shoulder if you don't mind." Kevin hunched down in the middle and V-man placed his left elbow into Kevin's shoulder. As he looked through the scope, he saw the tango turn his face towards the zodiac. He couldn't see or hear the team and his sniper rifle was propped up on the railing next to him. "Hello dick head, nice to see you again," he muttered and then lovingly squeezed the trigger. It took mere seconds for the 7.62mm round to reach its target. As it pierced the right lung of the mercenary, he was suddenly flung backwards against the railing. V-man saw his head slump down and his body remained motionless. "Sniper down, looking for number two." V-man took a deep breath and then let his second shot fly. A smile crossed his face as he watched the back of the sentry's head explode in a mass of skull and brain matter. "Starboard sentry down for the count Boss." "Nice shots Vasquez, we could use you in the agency," Garrett said. "No thanks, I already have a job." "Alpha squad, get ready to board. Everyone knows where to go so let's hurry up and get this done. If you find the canister, report in immediately," Adam said as he clicked the safety off his MP5SD. The zodiac moved into position and Adam tied it off to the bottom rung of the ladder. Everyone had their weapons trained on the deck above them in case someone looked down. Adam Dawson was the first up, and it took him little time to clear the ladder the point his 9mm assault weapon down the port side. As the rest of the team made their way up, they gathered around Adam to secure the stern of the ship. When everyone was on board, the group quickly separated into four smaller assault teams. Garrett and Jake moved up the starboard side, followed by Bob and John who swept the area around them. When they reached the first hatch, the two SEALs broke away from the S.A.D. men and headed below decks. Adam and Kevin led the way to the adjoining hatch on the port side. As they passed it, Carl and V-man disappeared quickly inside. The senior SEAL and his point man continued forward until they came to an open area. As they swung their MP5's toward the starboard side, they saw Garrett and Jake preparing to open an access hatch to the aft hold. They quickly joined them and survived the area for more sentries. Just before they opened the hatch, the sentry that they spotted on the way in came around the corner. Kevin raised his weapon, but Jake beat him to the shot as he quickly fired a three round burst from underneath his arm. Adam looked at Kevin with a puzzled look. "What the hell has gotten into you? Get your senses working shithead." Kevin shrugged his shoulders and continued scanning the area as Garrett lifted the hatch. As soon as it was open, Jake shoved the muzzle into the opening. What he saw made his stomach contract quickly and he turned his head away trying hard not to vomit into his mask. Adam moved forward and peered into the opening. The aft hold was dimly lit, but Adam instantly knew what he was looking at. About half of the small crew was lying on the deck of the hold. They were missing legs or arms and the area around them was covered with blood and spilled intestines. There were at least seven intact humans slowly stumbling around the confines of the space. Adam wondered if the zombie like crewmembers could sense they were being watched from above as he looked around the aft hold quickly. Suddenly his eyes darted to a large screen that was dangling from an opening about eight feet off the floor. He looked up and signaled Garrett to look inside at the far bulkhead. When Garrett saw the vent screen, his heart sank. He realized that some of the crew must have made it out before they succumbed to the deadly virus. He looked back up at Dawson and his face was pale as he tried to control his rising fear. Garrett reached up to his throat and pushed his mike button. "All team members listen up. Some of the crew escaped the aft hold. I repeat, some of the crew escaped, watch your six." ********** Raul Comceck walked towards the hatch that led to the main deck. Just before he lifted the lever, the smell of rotting flesh became stronger and he turned around. He had no time to pull his sidearm as he saw what used to be the Chief Engineer rush towards him. His now sunken eyes glared at his victim as he sunk his teeth into Raul's meaty shoulder. As he felt his flesh being torn from his body, he screamed out at the top of his lungs. He tried to push his attacker off him but he was too strong, and blood was now pouring out of his torn body. With his last ounce of strength, he pulled his Berretta out and fired the entire magazine into the Chief Engineer's chest. They had no effect as Raul slumped to the deck and died. ********** The four operators on the main deck turned towards the sound of a weapon being emptied. Garrett and Jake continued up the starboard side as Adam and Kevin moved up the port. As Kevin passed a large steel door, he heard a growling sound and started snapping his fingers to get Adam's attention. He quickly opened the door as Adam stared down the sights of his assault weapon. The ravaged body of one of the mercenaries lay torn and dismembered on the deck as the zombie like creature looked up and snarled at him. Adam placed three rounds through its skull and watched as it dropped to the floor. Kevin joined him as he put two of his own shots into the brain of Raul Comceck. The two SEALs continued until they reached the metal stairs leading towards the bridge. They went up about half way and then Adam hit his mike button. "Team one in position port side." "Team two ten seconds out," he heard Garrett respond. Adam counted to five and then rushed up the stairs and stormed into the bridge. He was about to fire a burst into the chest of Mansur Alba, but held his shot as the terrorist pulled the naked body of a young woman in front of him. The situation became tense now that he had a human shield to protect him. In a flash, Garrett and Jake rushed in from the starboard door and aimed their weapons at Mansur's head. As Kevin entered, his suspicions proved correct as his senses went crazy being this close to another werewolf. Mansur carefully looked to both sides of the room as he held his Berretta against the head of the struggling woman. "We'd rather take you alive Mansur, but we can play this any way you want," Garrett said. Mansur stared hard at Kevin and then back over to Jake. With two other werewolves in the confined space, he would be hard pressed to make it to the main deck without sustaining serious damage. "If you wanted me alive, why did bring them along?" Mansur said as he indicated to Jake and Kevin. Adam quickly stepped up but lowered his weapon. He had to do something to end this before Garrett realized what he was truly up against. He had one chance to keep Mansur in his human form, if not, this was going to turn ugly quick. "I tell you what Mansur, why don't you just tell us where the canister is and we'll leave the ship. You can get away and rejoin your friends." Garrett gave Adam a confused look. "I don't think I like that deal Dawson. This fucker killed my men and I'm going to make him pay." Mansur quickly realized that the upset human had no idea what he truly was, and the other one was trying to stop him from changing. "Is it possible that he doesn't realize the young man next to him is also a werewolf?" He looked at Adam as he pressed the gun tighter against the woman's head. "I understand what you're trying to do now. You know don't you, they told you what I am." "Mansur, I really don't want this to end badly. You don't have to do this," Adam said as Kevin walked around him and glared at Mansur. "I'm warning you Mansur, do what he said and just give us the canister," Kevin said as he reached down to the strapped Desert Eagle on his right thigh. "You and I both know that your small caliber assault rifles won't be much good. In just a matter of moments, the two humans will die and then it's down to just the three of us. I like those odds better." "Garrett, you need to leave the bridge. I mean right..." Adam couldn't finish his request in time, and Director Garrett Brown stood awe struck as he watched in horror. As the long razor sharp claws extended from the once human fingers of Mansur Alba, he pulled them quickly across the young women's throat. The spurting blood flew out of her torn flesh and splattered on the four men. It wasn't the first time Garrett had blood on his face, but that it was done by a large brown hideous creature was. With trembling hands, he extended his weapon, but fear gripped him so much he couldn't pull the trigger. As Mansur saw the look in Garrett's eyes, he knew that the human would not react to anything he did, that made the decision to attack the other human easier. With a low evil growl, he darted quickly over the draining body of his first victim. Kevin knew what Mansur was thinking and pulled the special weapon free of its holster. Adam fired a three round burst into the attacking werewolf's shoulder with little effect. It only caused Mansur to growl in displeasure as he leapt towards the wide-eyed human. As his chest was exposed for a split second, Kevin fired one of the special depleted uranium rounds into the large fur covered chest. To Adam, it seemed as if the werewolf was stopped in midair. As he looked down Mansur's muzzle, he saw the look of bewilderment in his eyes. Adam stepped to the side as the werewolf crashed down on all of his paws. He was wobbly, and had trouble breathing as he peered at Kevin. He had no idea what just hit him, but he knew he had to escape. With great pain, he turned and headed towards the confused form of Garrett Brown. When he was about to smash into him, Jake moved to the side and raised the working end of his own Desert Eagle. As he held it with both hands, he fired two special .50 caliber rounds into the left shoulder of the approaching beast. Even with the three rounds shredding the inside of his massive torso, Mansur stumbled backwards alive. As his massive head swung side to side looking at Jake Newton, he saw two other humans enter behind him. One was an older muscular male and the other a much younger looking one. As their eyes met, the younger one seemed to be less amazed at his fur-covered form than the older one. With labored effort, he turned towards Adam and Kevin. He saw Adam lower his weapon, as Kevin grasped his Desert Eagle with both hands. He realized it didn't matter if he was a werewolf or not. Whatever they were using was powerful enough to take him down. "If I'm going to die, then I'm going to die as what I truly am. This is not the end humans. Werewolves will rule the earth one day." Mansur, with his last ounce of life, leapt towards Kevin. Kevin fired as fast as he could pull the trigger on the semiautomatic handgun, as Jake did the same with his own weapon. The kinetic energy of the rounds forced Mansur to the far side of the bridge just as Carl and V-man entered from the port side hatch. Kevin lowered his head in hopelessness as his beloved friends watched the transformation of a horrific werewolf back to his human form. The Pandora Effect Ch. 04 The image had taken its toll on Chief Holliday. "Holy – Mary –mother – of – God." "Everybody find that fucking canister and let's get the hell off this ship," Adam screamed at his team. Adam rushed over to Garrett and shook his shoulders. During the short fight, he stood motionless and unable to react. He could hear Adam screaming at him, but could do very little in the way of a response. Even with all the combat training he had, he was now like a rookie after his first kill. "God damn it Garrett snap out of it," the Navy SEAL screamed. "Did – did you – what was..." "Shit! Jake, where would he put the canister for its highest effectiveness?" "It could be anywhere on this ship Adam. We needed him alive to tell us." Carl moved forward with his weapon trained on the now torn body of Mansur Alba. "It's not down on the port side Boss. We searched the whole ship on that side and only found bad guys and four zombie looking things." "Our side is clear too Sir. We took down six tangos and two others. It looked like part of the crew Sir," John said quickly. "Adam, if it's not below decks then the best place to put it is somewhere it could smash open. My guess is they were planning on ramming the ship into some thing or some place," Garrett said. "Bob, you and John check the bow area. Carl and V-man do a perimeter search of the side." The two separate teams moved out of the bridge in search of the deadly virus. When Adam looked back a Garrett, he was staring at Mansur's body with a blank expression. Kevin had warned him back in Predjama that a werewolf's greatest weapon was that of fear. Now he understood why. "Jake, he's done. Get him back to the stern and wait for the rest of team. We'll find the canister and meet you there." Jake slowly pulled his director towards the hatch, as Adam turned to look at Kevin. He still had his head bowed and gripping the Desert Eagle. For a moment, Adam felt sorry for his friend. He just couldn't determine if it was that he had to kill another werewolf, or that his closest friends just witnessed what wasn't supposed to be possible. "Kevin, Kevin they don't..." "They saw Adam. They all saw him as he truly was and now it's out there." "Listen Kevin, they don't know about you. We can come up with a story about some kind of experiment Nadia was working..." "Can you hear yourself Adam? They are going to find out and after that, I might as well find a quiet spot in the woods to live. That's where my kind belongs anyway isn't it? Way back where no one can find me and then it's just a fairy tale again." Adam walked up slowly. When he was within reach, he backhanded Kevin across his cheek. Kevin was surprised at the action and when he spun his head back around, he glared hard at his Lieutenant. The only thing keeping him from attacking was the fact that it was his best friend standing next to him. "Yeah, I see that look in your eye Dvorska. Go ahead, change, take me if you think you have the fucking guts." "If you ever touch..." "You'll what, be who you are? Now I understand what your father was trying to tell me back when he was alive. You hate being who you are. What I don't understand is why. You have friends and a girl back home that loves you. That's a hell of a lot more than most people have." "You're a human, you couldn't possibly understand what..." "Fine I don't. Are you happy now? No one other than a werewolf is going to know that. You see me running away stupid? Right now I need my point man who just happens to be the best fucking Navy SEAL I've ever seen. Are you in or out Petty Officer Dvorska? "Once this mission is over, I'm out. All I ever wanted to be was normal. Now look what's happened. I've put my friends in danger again because I can't tell them what I truly am. This isn't a gift, it's a curse." "Fine, now move your ass and find me a canister," Adam said sternly as he exited the bridge. ********** Wilhelm Bauer slowly opened his eyes as he slumped against the railing. It was hard to breath and he felt a huge amount of pain in his chest. He slowly reached up and placed his hand to the right side of his upper torso. When he felt the dampness, he didn't need any more evidence on what had happened. Maybe one of the others would have heard the shot. He was due to be relieved shortly by Raul, so he just had to hold on a little longer. He quickly wondered if whoever shot him also took out his relief. With clenched teeth to quiet the scream, he rolled to the side and retrieved his sniper rifle. He knew he had to retake his previous position sitting up just in case intruders were on board. He might be able to get a few shots off if they showed themselves. His body reacted with even more pain as he pulled himself back up. As tears flowed down his cheeks, he turned his head slowly towards the stern and placed the high-powered rifle in his lap. To stay alert, he thought back to his younger days of stalking large deer in the hills of Germany. "Just stay still and quiet and the deer will come to you. Yes Papa, just like you showed me." ********** Adam Dawson searched the main deck for any sign of the canister. Every so often, he would look around to check on Kevin, also to see if any more infected people were stumbling about. He was silently cursing himself for getting his team into this horrid mess when Bob's voice cracked over the comm gear. "L-tee, I think we found it. Come up to the Bullnose." Adam and Kevin raced forward to the other two SEALs who were looking down over the side. When Adam looked down, he saw a large gray canister dangling below him a few yards below. He moved his assault rifle down and grabbed the thick rope, pulling the deadly virus towards him. "Jesus Adam, be careful pulling that shit up here. If it breaks open, we're screwed," Bob said in a worried voice. "It would be helpful Chief if you wouldn't remind me what this is. I'm nervous enough right now being this close to it." "Sorry Boss, just pretend it's a backpack with our mail in it." As Adam placed the canister on the deck, he pressed his mike button. "Jake, do you copy?" "I'm right here Adam. You have some explaining to do when get out of here," Garrett's voice echoed back. "Nice to see you're back with us Garrett. We have the canister. What do you want me to do with it?" "All teams, I repeat all teams, rally at the starboard stern for extraction. Garrett out." The four SEALs looked at each other with confusion. They heard a sense of fear out of Garrett Brown's voice. Suddenly, Adam circled two fingers in the air and then pointed them aft. Bob and John went down the starboard side, covering the area as they went. As Kevin was about to follow, Adam grabbed his arm and stopped him. "Kevin, I'm sorry for what I said in the bridge. You're my best friend and I should have known better. Don't worry about the others, I'll take the heat for the secrecy shit. No one has to know about you. I swear on it." "Shut up Adam. If you take all that heat, you'll be kicked out of the teams. I couldn't live with that. Besides, your lovely wife would have my ass," Kevin replied with a smile and then headed off after the others. After everyone was assembled on the stern, Garrett took the canister from Adam. As he inspected the outside for any damage, he stunned the team when he opened the lid. He knew it was a normal reaction as the SEALs all backed away. The only one who remained in position was Jake. Although you could see in his face the displeasure of being as close as he was. "Garrett, what in God's name are you doing?" Adam asked quickly. "I'm taking a few vials with us for the lab guys. We have to find a way to stop this thing if we don't find the others. After that, I'm going to drop this shit overboard and let it rest of the bottom of the Med." "I don't understand. What if they break open down there?" "It won't matter Adam. It needs air to survive after being released. So if they do, it will be harmless." Garrett placed two vials in his vest pocket, and then with a twist of his body, heaved the canister out into the night. As he heard the splash in the water, he slumped down on the deck in relief. "Okay, the canister is now secure. Let's get the hell off this..." Suddenly, the report of a rifle shattered the night air. Instinctively, all weapons now pointed outward and V-man saw the sniper he thought he put down chamber another round. "Contact, port side superstructure." With extreme prejudice, all weapons opened up on full auto at the lone sniper. His body thrashed violently as the SEAL team emptied their magazines into his upper torso. When the MP5's were empty, they all ejected the spent mags and slammed fresh ones home quickly. They scanned the area for any more tangos. Then Adam turned towards the group. His heart sank when he looked down and saw his best friend, Kevin Dvorska, lying face down in a spreading puddle of blood. "Oh Jesus, no! Man down, Doc, get over here!" Hospital Corpsman Second Class John Henry Balch rushed to Kevin's side. He saw a small entry wound about halfway up on the left side. As Adam and John turned Kevin over, the SEAL medic saw a large opening near Kevin's heart. He quickly opened his backpack and retrieved a large compression bandage and placed it over the wound. With bloody fingers, he felt Kevin's carotid artery. His pulse was weak and fading quickly. John muttered to himself, and then carefully inserted his fingers into the opening in Kevin's chest. "Damn it! Son of bitch hit an artery near the heart," John said quickly. "What do you need Doc? What can I do to help?" Adam replied in a shaky voice. "I need on that submarine Sir, like right now, or we're going to lose him. Carl, get those clamps out of my bag, the ones that have a slight curve on the end." As Carl handed the clamps to him, he peered down at the opening. "I can't see anything. Someone put some light down here." While Bob held a small flashlight at the opening, John placed a clamp on each side of the shattered artery. After taping them in place, he covered the wound and secured it in place. When he looked up, he saw his Lieutenant flashing his own light towards the water behind them. USS Tarpon Springs (SSN-745), two miles behind the Naqada. Commander Michael Reinhardt peered through the night vision capable periscope. He could make out the SEAL team as they returned fire on someone. When he saw everyone load new clips in, he knew that someone just got his ass handed to him. "Man, you guys don't fuck around when you want someone dead," he muttered softly. Suddenly a series of flashes came from the stern of the merchant ship. The crew around him could hear their skipper saying something slowly, but it was so low they couldn't make it out. They were startled when he slammed the handles up and turned towards his Executive Officer. "XO, surface the boat and bring us to within fifty feet of the contact." "Aye, aye Skipper." "Sonar, Con. Report all contacts." "Con, my only contact is tango 137, thirty five hundred yards, bearing 090." Reinhardt turned towards Master Chief Stewart. "COB, get Doc awake and have him suit up for surgery. I don't know what to tell him to prepare for so just have him standby for the worst." The Commander rubbed his tired eyes as he thought of what might have gone wrong. "Why can't I ever get the easy missions where I just get to blow shit up?" ********** "The sub should be surfacing any minute. Doc, Carl, and Bob, you guys get Kevin onboard. Once he's inside, Carl you make a return trip for the rest of us. Carl picked up Kevin and carefully placed him over his muscular shoulder, then started to climb down the ladder slowly to the awaiting zodiac. John picked up his bag, slung it over his shoulder, and quickly followed down after Carl. He silently wondered if Kevin would even last for the short ride to the sub. ********** Kristine paced back and forth in the situation room at Langley. She kept turning her head towards the large screen on the wall. She must have asked Jack a hundred times to try to get the satellite image closer on the Naqada. She felt helpless as she watched someone climb down the stern ladder with what appeared to be a body. She couldn't tell if it was Mansur or one of the team members. "Oh God please let that be Mansur. Please, please, please don't let that be one of mine." The Pandora Effect Ch. 05 My last chapter had people scratching their heads. I hope this next installment answers those questions and everyone goes "Oh, now I get it." Thanks to my wonderful editor Dawn and a few of my close friends that are now screaming for number 6, enjoy. * Lieutenant Commander Dobson tied off the surgical thread and held his hand out for the scissors. As John placed them in his hand, he swabbed the area around the wound for the hundredth time. He looked up at the screen showing Kevin's vital sign. His pulse was still too weak from the amount of blood loss. When Dobson was done, he tossed the bloody tool into the tray and wiped his brow with his forearm. He looked at the clock on the bulkhead and realized he had now been in surgery for a little more than two hours. "Not bad for someone that hasn't cracked open a chest since medical school." The doctor looked at the small green screen to check his patient's condition. The sub only had a limited supply of blood on board and Dobson knew he needed more surgery to repair the artery. He did what he could, but the Tarpon Springs just wasn't set up for battle field surgery. "I gotta hand it to you Petty Officer Balch. You did very well with the procedure. I've never seen a corpsman with the talent you have. You should really think about med school," Dobson told him. "Thanks Sir. I did two years in the O.R. at Portsmouth." "Think you could close up while I go talk to your teammates? I'm sure they're anxious for some news on Mr. Dvorska's condition." "Not a problem Sir. Let them know I'll be out as soon as I can." The doctor pulled off his bloody gown and tossed it in the small red container. When he walked out of the room, he leaned up against the cold steel bulkhead and let out a heavy sigh. After collecting his thoughts, he started towards the control room to brief Commander Reinhardt first. ********** Adam Dawson sat quietly in one of the small booths that surrounded the Officer's Mess. He avoided eye contact with his team and Garrett, as he sipped the hot coffee and deliberated what his next move should be. He wasn't going to broach the subject of what everyone saw on the bridge of the Naqada if he didn't have to. He closed his eyes and laid his head back. The image of his wife filled his mind and he found himself silently wishing he were there with her instead of with his team. The image of Laura sobbing uncontrollably took the place of Kristine. His heart grew heavy at the thought of telling her bad news. He prayed that the ship's doctor and his crack medic would get his friend through surgery. The deafening silence that filled the room was shattered when Commander Reinhardt and his Executive Officer opened the door and walked inside. The doctor followed closely behind them carrying a large mug of coffee. "Lieutenant, this is Doctor Dobson. He'd like to brief you on your friend's condition," Reinhardt said. The entire team gathered around the table as Dobson sat down across from Adam. "Nice to meet you Doc, is he going to make it?" "I'm not going beat around the bush here Lieutenant, he's lucky to be alive. Due to the amount of blood loss and the extent of the wound, he slipped into a coma. It could last a week or it could be permanent. I did what I could to stabilize him, but my training is in nuclear accidents not front line surgery." "Is he stable enough to transport off the sub?" Adam's voice betrayed his feelings as the team turned their eyes towards him. "He needs more care than we can give him here. To be brutally honest with you, he has a fifty, fifty shot -- less if we try to move him." "How do you want to play this Dawson? Your friend here -- Mr. -- Brown, wants me to sink that merchant ship and the sun will be up in a few hours. I can't get you to port until at least tomorrow evening," Reinhardt said. Adam weighed the decision to follow orders against the life of one of his team members. He needed to get his friend to a real hospital -- but at what cost. His mind flashed to the image of the crew of the Naqada, the zombie like beings, wondering aimlessly in the aft hold. Did his team kill all of them that escaped? There had to be a solution for both problems. Garret could see the Navy SEAL contemplating the idea of turning for port. "Listen Adam, I'm sorry about Kevin. It sucks to loss one of your men, but my orders are specific. Sink that ship and everyone on it at all costs. You know damn well we can't let that ship get near land." Adam quickly snapped his head to the far wall. A large map of the Mediterranean was on display and he rushed out of his seat towards it. "Where are we Commander?" Reinhardt joined him and pointed to an area just south of Sicily. "I could give you a better location in the control room, but somewhere about here." "This could work. Can you transmit a flash message?" "I guess so. Who do you want me to send it to?" Adam went to the bulletin board and pulled a piece of paper down. He wrote quickly and then handed the paper to Commander Reinhardt. His eyes shot open as he looked back up at Adam. "Are you out of your mind Dawson? You can't land a helicopter on a submarine." "You can if the pilot has a big enough set of balls. Just send it Commander." "Okay, it's your funeral." Reinhardt handed the message to his XO and shook his head as he left. Adam went back over to his team to brief them on his idea. As he passed the doctor leaving the room, Dobson placed his hand on Adam's shoulder. "There is one more thing you should know Lieutenant. "What is it Doc?" "That medic of yours deserves a medal. If he hadn't placed those clamps on when he did, your friend would be lying in the ship's morgue instead of sick bay. I had him assist me during the surgery and I can honestly say he's the best I've ever seen. He should be a doctor, not a medic." "Thanks Doc." "One more thing -- if you move your teammate, it will be on your call alone." "I understand and I take full responsibility for it." After sitting down, he discussed the extraction with everyone. Garrett was not happy about helicopters that close to the water, but if they could pull it off, at least he'd be off the sub. When Adam got back up to fill his coffee, Garrett followed him. "You need to explain about that thing I saw. Mansur turned into some kind of..." "This is neither the time nor the place for that discussion. Once we get to a secure location, I'll brief you on whatever you want. Right now I just want to get my point man to a hospital." Adam and Garrett were speaking in a low tone, but there was one person in the room who picked the entire conversation up -- Jake Newton. He had taken extreme precautions never to let anyone know about his true self. Now the Director of the Special Activities Division was going to be briefed soon about the existence of the deadliest animals on the planet -- werewolves. Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force Mediterranean (CJSOTF), Aviano Italy. Commander Neal Hawkins sat at his desk and thumbed through the offers of civilian employment. His retirement was just a few months away and his wife really wanted to move back to the states. As he stopped on one of the offers in Florida and began to read, his secretary knocked and entered quickly. "I'm sorry Commander, but there's a flash message addressed to you." "Who the hell wants me that bad to not use a phone?" Neal read the message and quickly picked up the phone. "Jesus Dawson, now what the hell have you gotten yourself into?" ********** The sun was brilliant as the golden rays pierced through the trees of the forest. Kevin's eyes blinked open as he sat upright in the lush green grass. He had no idea where he was and his normal SEAL reaction should have been to look around for his weapon, but instead he felt calm. He heard something soothing to his ears and turned his head. Just off to his right, there was a waterfall unlike he'd seen before. It started two hundred yards above him and cascaded over levels of outcropping plateaus. The white frothing water made him smile at the sheer beauty of its elegance. He looked back to the left and saw a small trampled down path that led deeper into the forest. At first, he thought maybe it was a natural animal path but as he looked around, he didn't see any prints in the soft earth. Kevin stood and as he did, he noticed he was wearing a faded set of denim jeans and a plain short sleeve tee shirt. He started to wonder if his mind was playing tricks on him. He couldn't remember putting these clothes on. As he started down the tiny path, he became aware that he wasn't scanning the area like he was supposed to in a strange place. He could hear numerous birds chirping as he moved among the large oak trees. They didn't seem frightened, but sang to each other in a joyful tone. He continued deeper and began to smell smoke. It reminded him of the camping trips he used to take with his father many years before. They would spend long weekends, hunting and fishing for food. He taught him how to survive off the land and enjoy nature along with its sheer beauty. The smell became stronger and he started to make out voices ahead. He couldn't tell how many there were, but one of them was distinctly female. He thought maybe a group of campers or someone else. Either way, maybe he could get directions to a phone so he could call Laura and let her know he was safe. He soon entered a small clearing. The bright sunlight seemed to dance among the branches and leaves of the tall trees as they swayed in the light wind. A small fire glowed softly in the center of the clearing, and he saw three people gathered around it. What he couldn't understand was why his dad and grandmother where laughing and smiling at each other. Another man across from them was sipping some water and turned to look at him as he approached. When he cleared his throat to get the other's attention, Luka Dvorska turned his head and smiled at his only child. "Well it's about time Kevin. I was beginning to think you wouldn't figure it out." "I was just reminding your father here that I actually had to walk out and meet him when he showed up. Don't let him give you too much grief sweetie," Marta said with a gleaming smile. "Grandma Marta?" Kevin had a look of confusion that seemed to amuse the other person by the fire. "Luka, I won the bet. He has no idea who I am, even after the Predjama mission," he said with a hint of amusement. Kevin cocked his head towards the stranger, as the others saw him trying to come up with a name. He mentioned the Predjama mission but that was impossible, it was classified. Even during the fight with Kordic, it was just him and Adam. Then, the vision of the strange mists filled his thoughts. He remembered he was not alone in the fight. His family came to help. "Baldomr Purgstall?" His great, great Grandfather smiled and nodded his head. He knew Kevin was slightly stunned at the realization that his family members were gathered around a fire. He just hoped that when he figured where he was, he would remain calm as he started his new journey. "It sure seemed you wasted a few brain cells coming up with that one Kevin," Baldomr said with a slight chuckle. "I don't understand. I was on a mission with..." "Kevin, why don't you pull up a log and have a seat for a while, it seems you have more than a few questions," Luka interrupted as he reached down and grabbed a cold beer out of a small tub of ice. The Navy SEAL sat down and stared at his Grandmother with a blank stare. Even though she was smiling at him, her eyes seemed to have a hint of sorrow for her werewolf grandson. Marta kept her smile as she reached into the cold water and retrieved a beer. She tossed it to Kevin who deftly caught it with one hand. "Now this is what I call dreaming. Sitting around and getting to talk to you two again, drinking a few brain grenades, seems like old times." Kevin took a long drink and sighed heavily as he placed the cold can on his knee. He looked at Baldomr with a stern glare. "I have some questions for Baldomr. You came up with some strange rules for your decedents to follow." "Nice to finally meet you too Kevin. You sure have made something with your life. In my day, it was hard to meet friends and do the things you do." "Well then it's nice to know times really don't change much. The only way I was able to make friends was to hide what I am. Do you have any idea how much I just wanted to be a normal kid with a life?" Luka placed his hand gently on Kevin's forearm. "We really should learn to control our tempers Son. If you want to blame someone, it should be me. Maybe I screwed up on how I raised you." "It's okay Luka. Let him get it off his chest if it makes him feel better." "Sorry Baldomr, I guess I should be a little more respectful. You did come to that cave and save my life along with my best friend." "It's okay Kevin, and you have a right to know about those rules. I didn't come up with them -- he did," Baldomr said as Gabriel walked up behind Kevin. 15 miles southeast of Aviano Air base, Hospital Civile Sacile, Sacile Italy. Adam Dawson stared at the glossy tiled floor just outside of the surgery room. His team members surrounded him as they too sat silently for any news to come out of the room. Throughout the flight in, John monitored Kevin's medical condition. He knew he should have told his team leader that he was fading slowly, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it. When a nurse would walk towards them, he tried to ask about his best friend. They all ignored him as they rushed quickly inside. He knew it was a bad sign as more nurses went in but never came out. Garrett had the same thousand yard stare, but his was directed to the bright white wall on the other side of the corridor. The thoughts of his own men that lost their lives to whatever that thing was on the bridge was, filled his heart with a deep regret, and an even deeper rage. Adam's attention was quickly drawn to the large entrance door as an older gentleman in scrubs exited. He had a serious look on his face, as he looked around at the men in their green flight suits. "Which one of you is the team leader?" Adam jumped to his feet in hopes of news about Kevin. "I am Sir. Lieutenant Adam Dawson. Is he going to be alright?" "I'm Major General Douglas Fairwood. Is your team's medic here with you Lieutenant?" "Sir, I'm the team medic, Petty Officer Balch," John said quickly as he stood at attention. Fairwood was silent as he trembled slightly. It was many years ago when he last lost his temper, and he fought hard not to lash out at them. "I'm going to try and remain calm as I debrief you on the patient's condition. I've seen a lot of stupid things in my thirty five years as a surgeon, but you two clowns take the cake. I read the report of the surgery on the Tarpon Springs, fine job by the ship's doctor and the team's medic." "So he's gonna be alright Sir?" Adam started to smile, but the look on Fairwood's face told him the answer. "No, he's not going to be alright Lieutenant. You should have heeded the doctor's advice, and you -- Petty -- Officer Balch should have stood on his neck until he did." Fairwood's voice started to rise as John took a step back. "Sir, it wasn't like..." "Where the hell did you get your training from Balch? Even a civilian knows to move someone -- after -- they're stable. Thanks to you two bozo's, he probably has a slim to none chance of coming out of it, and if he does, he'll be a vegetable for the rest of his life." "Sir it was my call to move him. I wanted to..." "You wanted to what Lieutenant, play God? I hate to tell you this, but that job is already taken. Your -- friend -- is in recovery if you want to say hi, not that it will do any good. What happens next is up to him and the all mighty. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go to my office and call your command about pressing formal charges against both of you." Adam kept his eyes on the door to the operating room as the Major General stormed past him. The feeling of guilt that flowed through his heart flooded his body. He wondered how he was going to tell Laura that Kevin is dead because of his hasty judgment. Alpha fire team watched as their team leader clenched both hands in a fist. His eyes quickly filled with tears as he slowly walked towards the door with two small windows. They sat in utter disbelief as the Navy SEAL quickly sent a large powerful fist through one of them. Adam pulled his bloody hand back and turned to face the shocked team. "Since I'm going to be court martialed for getting one of my men killed, I might as well add destruction of government property along with failure to disclose information to it," he said as he looked over at a conference room nearby. Jake stood up quickly with a look of concern. He knew exactly what the SEAL was referring to, and it wasn't good. "Adam, we're all upset about Kevin. Maybe we should just get some sleep..." "Thanks for the advice Jake. I think you better sit this conversation out, this is between me and my men." "I've been waiting for this since leaving the Naqada, and I'm damn sure not going to miss out on this. Newton, guard the door. I don't want anyone in or out," Garrett said as he stood up. Adam looked over at the new medic. He had only been with the team a short while and didn't need to be involved with this, he was in enough trouble as it was. "Petty Officer Balch, you are excused from this meeting. You will stay outside until we come out. I'm still a Lieutenant for the time being and that's an order." "Can I at least take a look at your hand Sir?" "No! With any luck I'll bleed out and save the Navy a bunch of money." Adam slowly walked the twenty feet towards the conference room door. He knew he had to keep Kevin's family secret and put the blame on him and Kordic. He promised Luka Dvorska that he would do that one thing, that long night ago in Predjama cave. ********** Luka Dvorska looked up at the archangel Gabriel as he stood behind his son. With his presence at the small clearing, he knew the time was close and his only son would join them. He silently prayed that his wife Beth would not take the news too hard. She should have gone before her son, and now, Kevin would welcome her instead of the other way around. Luka knew he had to make lite of the situation to ease the news Kevin had coming. He did what came naturally, as he reached into the ice-cold water for a beer. "Gabe, good to see you out and about among the little people. How about an ice cold beer to settle the nerves?" "Good to see you too Luka, and you should know by now that I don't drink." Kevin turned to see an older man wearing a long flowing white gown. He had shoulder length blond hair, and his deep blue eyes had a calming effect as he gazed back at Kevin. He placed a hand on his shoulder and the young werewolf instantly felt at peace with all his troubles. "Hello Kevin, it's a pleasure to finally meet you in person." "Hello Gabe. How come you're in my dream too?" "Oh dear, we do have a sticky situation here don't we. Luka, you asked for this personally. Now it seems I have to do all the work." "Well -- Gabriel -- he just got here and I didn't want to rush into it. You came too early; you should see a doctor about it. Women get annoyed when you do that," Luka said with a chuckle. Kevin tried to stifle his laugh but he felt wonderful inside. It had been so long since he heard his father's quick wit. He looked up just in time to see Marta slap her son on the arm in retort. He looked back at Gabriel and saw the older man smiling and shaking his head in surrender. The Pandora Effect Ch. 05 "I should have known better than to set you up Luka. Kevin, your father is quite a funny person. I do love his attitude around here." Kevin looked around and then back to Gabriel. "Speaking of which, where is here exactly?" "It's a little complicated Kevin. What's the last thing you remember before you arrived here in the forest?" "I was on a mission. You see I'm part of a special group in the Navy and we..." "Yes I know you're a SEAL Kevin, but what do you remember? "How did you know..." "Please Gabriel, maybe you should come back a little later. Give us time to talk to him first," Marta said quickly. "I'm sorry Marta I wish I could, but the time is nearing my dear. Now Kevin, you were on the Naqada with your team. What do you remember after finding the canister?" Kevin stared at him in disbelief. Only a few select people knew about the mission and he wasn't one of them. "Oh well, it's a dream so what's the harm." "We just found the canister and then we regrouped on the stern. Garrett Brown took a few samples and then he dropped it overboard. That's when we heard the shot ring out." "And you being a great Navy SEAL returned fire," Gabriel said quietly. "Of course I -- wait, I didn't return fire. I felt something sting me and..." Marta moved quickly and sat down next to her Grandson. As she placed her loving arm around him, she rocked him in comforting love. Kevin looked around at the group, as he watched the faces of the two other men from his past. Their faces had a slight smile, but their eyes gave them away. The look of sadness slowly crept over them. "I felt this sting in my back, and then I'm here in the forest with my dead ancestors. Then some guy, who knows about the mission, walks up and says something about it being almost time. Now my dead Grandmother is rocking me like a little kid to comfort me." Kevin looked at his father. "You mean I'm dead Dad?" "Um -- sort of little buddy. This is a kind of way station to help you transition. You get to meet family members and ask a lot of questions. That way it's not too hard to take when one of -- them -- arrives. They must think pretty highly of you Kev, usually it's not Gabe himself picking someone up." Kevin jumped up out of Marta's embrace and glared at the archangel. "I can't be dead! My girlfriend, my teammates, my mom is..." "Yes Kevin and you still have strong human emotions. You can still experience that, for the time being anyway. Why don't you sit back down and I'll try to answer your questions for you." "Oh great, this is the part where I get to ask one question to God," he said with a hint of sarcasm as he slid back down next to Marta. Gabriel shook his head. "I still have no idea how that got so mixed up down there. No Kevin you get to ask as many as you want. I'm pretty sure some of them are the same ones your family here asked too." Baldomr shifted body slightly and brought the water bottle up. "Yeah, like that stupid rule of only telling your true love," he muttered. "Wait a minute, you know about my other side?" Kevin asked quickly. "Ah yes, that troublesome side that you tried to hate for so long. I really don't understand why you don't like being a werewolf? We thought werewolves were a pretty good idea at the time." "You son -- of -- a..." Kevin said and then pulled his fist back. "Kevin, no!" Luka's booming voice was the only thing stopping him, as the rage filled his heart. "Before you turn into some hideous monster, as you so eloquently put it sometimes, why don't you calm down and let me answer your questions. Would you like another beer to help you calm down, maybe something stronger perhaps?" "Maybe telling me why God would create a monster would be a good start!" "Oh dear, where to start? I guess the box would be a good place." "The box?" "Yes Kevin, haven't you ever heard of Pandora's box?" "Yeah, it's Greek mythology. A box that held all the evil in the world, and some chick opened it. Now werewolves walk around killing people. Nice job to the old man on that brilliant idea." A loud clap of thunder sounded in the distant and Kevin looked up. The sun was still shinning and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. He looked back at Gabriel who stared back with a hint of displeasure. "Maybe you should try to keep that anger in check just for a little while Kevin. He's not real happy with the way this is going." "Sorry, it's a force of habit." "Now about the box, it's not mythology, it was real. You see Kevin, he wanted to guard the box, but at the same time, he wanted those guards to blend in with everyone else. In the beginning, there were two Lycanthropes and their job was to keep the box closed. One of them was named Alesandro, the other was Kiril." "You're taking the long way around the block to get to your back door there Gab." "Thank you Luka, I can always count on you for a comment. Anyway Kevin, they started out as good werewolves, guardians really. They led normal lives and had friends, but the rule was they could only tell their true love who they really were." "You mean -- what -- they were," Kevin said quickly. "No I had it right the first time thank you. It is a part of you, just as much as it is your human side. Anyway, Kiril fell in love with a very beautiful woman. Your generation refers to them as, how do you put it, built like a brick shithouse? Can you guess what her name was Kevin?" "Oh I'm just going to take a wild guess here -- Pandora?" "You have your father's sense of humor I see. She was one of a few fallen ones that were banished from heaven, dark angels as you might know them. She seduced Kiril to help open the box, but he stood so close to it after it opened that he became evil and destructive." "Why didn't the other werewolf stop him?" "By the time Alesandro got there it was too late. They fought each other fiercely but Pandora stopped it. She offered Alesandro her medallion if he allowed the two of them to leave in peace and never return. He couldn't bring himself to kill another of his kind, so he took the medallion and never saw them again." "The Lycanthrope Medallion," Kevin whispered. Baldomr stood up and approached Kevin. "Speaking of which, why in the world would you put it in a bank in Switzerland? Not to mention trusting a human female to drop it off for you like it was a letter to Santa. You have no idea what lengths evil werewolves would do to get their hands on it." "I didn't know what it was Baldomr. Kristine was the caretaker of Predjama castle and she just heard rumors from some old lady." "Yes I know Kevin, I was watching when she did. Let me ask you a question, when Laura came to the hotel that night why didn't you know it was her? A true decedent of Alesandro would have sensed her walking down the corridor." "I don't know, maybe I was getting a cold or something." Gabriel touched the young man's arm and shook his head. "No Kevin, your werewolf side was fading away. You turned your back on the gift he gave you, so it started to turn its back on you my son. It lives within you, just as much as you live within him. Sadly, you both depend on on each other to thrive." "If you know so much Gabriel, then you know I scare the -- heck -- out of people." "Oh I'm quite sure you scare poor Kristine Dawson out of her mind. What is it she is always telling you, bad dog, she'll hit you with a newspaper? What about your friend Adam, go fetch me a beer boy? Your girlfriend Laura shakes in fear as she snuggles up to you. Yes petrified indeed." "They're my friends. They accept me for who I am." "Oh, and the others of Alpha fire team are not your friends? Do you know that at this very moment, every one of them is begging our father to let them switch places with you in that hospital bed? If that's not friendship Kevin, I'd hate to find out what it does take to be your friend." "But the rules." Gabriel looked up into the bright sky. "Forgive me on this one Father. Some things just don't work out like you plan Kevin. Maybe it should have been to allow a werewolf with a good heart to evolve and grow. Maybe not tell the whole world, but to let you find your own way sometimes. We aren't supposed to interfere, just guide you in your journey in life." "Well you sure could have interfered with the two morons that are left down there. Do you know what they have?" "Yes we do. The problem the world has now is -- they don't. Since you'll be up here with us, you might as well know the truth, Nadia is one of the fallen ones. She is filled with such hatred for him, that she told the Lycanthropes' the virus would just kill humans and have no effect on any other living creature. She failed to inform them about the so-called Pandora effect. The transformation of his work would be complete; the dead would walk the earth forever. They have no idea they are causing their own demise, they only want power and to start a new world order. It's up to your friends now to try and stop it." ********** Adam Dawson took a deep breath and slowly let it escape. He rubbed his tired eyes and then looked into the faces of the curious men around him. He felt sick to his stomach as the idea of lying to his team hit him. There was going to be no easy way around this, as he leaned forward and placed his hands on the lustrous tabletop. "What you all saw on the bridge really was Mansur Alba. What you also saw was a werewolf." "Have you lost your mind Dawson," Garrett spat out. "No I haven't. You see guys, my grandparents were killed by something I didn't think existed. I did manage to track it down and then I found out about..." ********** Jake looked at the saddened medic. He was taking the news about Kevin hard. "What do you think they're talking about in there?" "I don't know and I really don't care Jake. My only concern is one of my friends is lying in a bed dying. The General was right, I should have done more to prevent it." Jake knelt down in front of the young medic. He knew no words could console him. This was just a part of what they sign up for and they sometimes have to take the bad with all the good they do. A lesson that is always learned with a great deal of pain. "John, I haven't known you for very long. From what I can tell, you're a hell of medic. You did everything you could and then some. You knew when you signed up for the teams, this is part of the job, but none of us really want to go through it." John looked into his eyes and saw a true concern about his feelings. "You know something Jake, you have a good soul." "Oh I wouldn't go that far rookie. There's a lot you don't know about me. I could be some kind of monster for all you know." Jake laughed inside at the thought of what he truly was. If the young medic only knew the truth, he wouldn't think that. "I should go check on Kevin. If they come out and ask, just tell them that I'm doing my job." ********** "Please, you have to send me back. I have to help stop them," Kevin pleaded with him. "I'm sorry Kevin, I know it's hard to understand but we have rules about..." "Screw your rules! Dad, Grandma -- please make him understand. Mom's down there for Christ's sake!" Luka looked up as the thunder rolled through the cloudless sky. "Kevin, please try to understand. We all went through this at the beginning. I promise it gets easier." "Please Gabriel, now that I know werewolves are supposed to be guardians I'll do better this time, I promise. You have to let me do what we were created to do -- protect." "Did you ever get a chance to watch Star Wars?" Gabriel asked. "What? What kind of stupid question is that?" "I always liked one of the lines from that movie. 'Only now, at the end, do you understand the true meaning of the force'. I know it sounds corny, but it rather fits the conversation we're having. I guess your father's humor is rubbing off on me," he said with a little laugh. "Gabriel, it's not nice to make fun of Kevin like that. He's having a difficult time right now," Marta said sternly. "Forgive me, I apologize my dear. Kevin, my hands are tied on this matter. It just isn't done any more for a hundred reasons that I can't even..." Suddenly the thunder sounded as if it was surrounding them. Gabriel looked up quickly and then back down the path Kevin took to reach the clearing. He had a concerned look on his face as he quickly looked back up to the bright sky. "Oh dear, now we have a real problem on our hands." Luka tossed his beer down and hurriedly stood up and scanned the area. "What is it Gabriel? What's going on?" "Well there's nothing I can do about it now." A soft smile crept across his face. "Looks like our young Skywalker is getting his wish." "I don't understand," Marta said softly. "Kevin I pray you will learn from this and do what is right because it seems a friend of yours is about to break the rules." ********** "How's he doing?" John asked the young Air Force nurse checking the I.V. in Kevin's arm. "He's at least stable for now. Just a few minutes ago the vitals seemed to go haywire, like he was having a bad dream or something." "Would you mind if I sit with him for a while. I promise to call you if anything changes." "Are you the medic, the one who worked on him?" "Yeah, at least I tried." "I saw some of your work during the operation, you're very skilled. I'll just go get some coffee, I'll be at the nurses' station just outside the rear door there. Get me if you need anything." John watched the young nurse walk out the door. He looked around the recovery room at the empty beds, then down to Kevin Dvorska. He closed his eyes, as the memory of the bodies scattered around him filled his mind. The room spun slowly and he started to smell the unmistakable scent of cordite -- and death. Young men lay cold and still as they stared up at the smoke filled sky with lifeless eyes. Some lay twisting on the scorched earth, screaming for the medic to help them. He was alone in that muddy trench, his hands hastily trying to stop the bleeding in one of his friend's chest. The unit's surgeon was of no use as he lay close by, but only the upper half of his torso. Another round hit very close to the edge of the shallow trench, silencing some of the agonizing screams tearing at the young medic's heart. After recovering from the concussion of the explosion, he looked down at his closest friend, who now stared back with the same lifeless eyes as the others. "It's not supposed to be like this. At what point do we say enough is enough? Oh please God, give me the strength to save my friends -- please." Pharmacist's Mate First Class John Henry Balch, United States Navy, jumped out of the trench at Vierzy, France. He ran to the first man he saw who was holding his bleeding leg tightly. As he reached into his bag, he pulled out two clamps and placed them on either side of the shattered artery. After tying them in place, he grabbed the man's shoulder and dragged him down into the blood soaked furrow. He darted out once again and sprinted to the next man, as the bullets screamed past his exposed body. John opened his eyes as they filled with tears. He tried not to think about it much, but World War I was like yesterday for him. He wasn't going to lose any more friends, not when so much was at stake this time. John crossed himself, placed a hand over Kevin's bandage chest, and looked up. "Forgive me Father, for I am about to sin," he said as he slowly closed his eyes in silent pray. It started as a small glow around him and slowly built. The warmth engulfed him like that of a mother, snuggling with a small child on a cold winter's night. The white light soon surrounded him as Kevin's eyes began to flicker back and forth. It took only a few more moments before the young werewolf opened them and stared at the dark silhouette of a man standing next to his bed. As the light slowly diminished, he saw the team's medic, standing over him with a smile. John reached over and pulled the breathing tube out of Kevin's throat. "Welcome back Mr. Dvorska, you gave us all quite a scare. Um -- what do you remember?" "Everything." "Oh I see. By chance did you happen to see an older gentleman with white..." "Yeah I saw Gabriel, and I think you pissed him off. That is if you are what I think you are." "I'm not really supposed to do that. I'm certain I'll be in a bit of trouble for that one, but I just couldn't lose another friend like that. You can tell the others it was some sort of miracle, divine intervention if you want, but you can't let them know about me or about what you saw up there. It wouldn't be a wise choice really. I'm in enough trouble as it is." "Your secret is safe with me John, if that is your real name." "It's my real name Kevin, and speaking of secrets, Adam is currently taking all the blame about what the team saw on the bridge. He's been a true friend to you Kevin. I can't tell you what to do, but sometimes you have to trust people close to you, even if you think you can't." "Gabriel said something to that effect. Hurry up and help me get this shit off, I think it's time for a little show and tell." John punched a few buttons on the monitor so it would show a steady reading for a short time. "We don't have much time Kev; the nurses will be looking for you when they see you're not in your bed." "Lead the way Angel Boy," Kevin said as he grabbed an extra gown. ********** "...so you see everyone, I kept it a secret because I didn't want to get you all hurt. I knew we were up against them again, but if I told you the truth you wouldn't have believed me anyway. That's also why I didn't freeze up like Garrett did. Fear is one of their greatest weapons. "So is being pissed off," Kevin said as he burst through the door. The team was in shock as they watched a living, breathing Kevin Dvorska move quickly into the room. He had a Sig Sauer pointed at the head of Jake Newton. After shoving him and John into the room, he turned and locked the door. "Kevin, how are you -- you're supposed to be..." Adam couldn't come up with the words as he slumped in his chair. "Yeah dead, I know L-tee. I'll try to explain it later, right now I want all weapons on the table," he said as he moved the 9mm back and forth on his teammates. "Kevin, it's us, your teammates. Don't you remember being part of..." "Yes I do Bob. SEAL Team Two, Alpha fire team. I'm the point man and you're gonna get shot first if I don't start seeing some hardware on that table real soon." Kevin put an exclamation point on his order by pulling the hammer back. "I don't know what the hell is going on but I swear Dvorska, if I get the chance, I'm gonna put you back in that bed permanently," Bob said as he placed his weapon with the others. "That might be harder than you think Chief. John would you please put those weapons in the trash can please? Don't worry everyone, I just need them out of the way for a few moments." Adam remembered when Kevin pulled a gun on him during the Predjama mission. Once he was disarmed, Kevin proceeded to enlighten him about the existence of werewolves. "No, it's not possible he's gonna do this with the whole damn team. It's insane." "Kevin, I already told them it was my fault. I didn't tell them because of my Grandparents and..." "I'm sure it was a wonderful story Adam, sorry I missed it," he said as he tossed the Sig to Jake. Garrett saw the chance to get out of whatever was going on with this psycho so he took it. "Now I have your ass Dvorska," he screamed as he started to stand up, but Jake raised the weapon and pointed at Garrett chest. "For once in your life will you just sit down and hear someone out. I think you're gonna learn more than you ever thought possible. The Pandora Effect Ch. 05 "Are you in on this too Newton? Have you both lost your fucking minds?" "What my best friend Adam here was telling you is the truth, werewolves do exists. I found out recently that they actually started out as some sort of guardian. I'm not gonna bore you with the details except to say that there are some good and some not so good." Dan Vasquez slowly stood up, as he did, he raised his hands in a peaceful gesture. "Listen Kev, we've know each other for a while now. I just want to know if you've been smoking the same crack pipe as L-tee." "Nope, never had much use of the stuff V-man. I know werewolves are real -- because I am one." Kevin let the news sink in as he watched his teammates try to suppress their smirks. "You all think this is funny." "Yes," they answered. "You're my closest friends and you think I've lost my mind." "Without a doubt," Carl said loudly. "You think I belong in the funny farm." "I'll drive you there myself Dvorska, after I punch your lights out," Bob said. "Then please feel free to let me know how funny you think this is." With a quick wink towards Adam, Electrician's Mate Second Class Kevin Dvorska, embraced his true self in front of his friends. As the large brown beast emerged quickly, Adam watched the reaction of his team. As Kevin quickly growled fiercely at his friends, he saw the expected reaction of being frozen with fear, unable to move. He made a quick movement towards his nearest friend, Carl Werner. His mouth was open in a silent scream and his body shook violently. Adam slowly rose and moved towards Kevin. "That's what I was trying to tell you guys, it's a werewolf's greatest weapon. Kevin here could have killed us all by the time you clowns got around to reacting." "You -- you -- you knew -- about -- him?" Bob stuttered. "Yeah Bob I knew about Kevin. He had to do the same thing to me in Predjama to save my life. I think I took it a little better than you guys are. What do you think Kev?" He looked up at his friend with gleaming gold eyes, and then shoved his massive head against his body. As Adam stumbled backwards, he laughed at the large mass of fur, muscle, and claws. Garrett looked at his own point man, as Jake laughed lightly at the fake attack. "Jake, shoot that damn thing before it kills us all!" "What, with this thing? It wouldn't do anything but piss him off Garrett. That's the other thing you want to consider when you're confronted with a werewolf. Never ever just piss them off, it usually ends badly for someone. If you're gonna shoot one, make it count the first time." "How do you know about..." "Because I'm a werewolf too Director Brown. Rules are we're supposed to keep the truth about our existence a secret, but Kevin here convinced me otherwise. I guess you can say I'm coming out of the closet." "I don't believe it." "Well Garrett I tell you what, how about if I change and Adam here can answer your questions." Adam still had a smile on his face from Kevin's head butt. "Hey don't make me the guinea pig here, besides you know more about them than I do. Hey Kev, maybe you should back up a little and let the guys have a moment to let it sink in huh." When Kevin turned and retreated to the corner of the room, V-man tried to get to the door. When he made his move, Kevin released a low and meaningful growl. The SEAL sniper stopped dead in his tracks when the werewolf cocked his head towards him. "Um -- that may not be the brightest course of action. Kevin wants us to settle this by ourselves," Jake said quickly. "Wait a second, that thing can really understand you?" V-man stared at Kevin in disbelief. "That -- thing -- has a name, it's Kevin. Listen guys, he can hear you and understand you. Hell he can also smell the fear that is stinking up the room," Jake said as he waived a hand in front of his nose. "Bullshit, werewolves are supposed to be..." Jake glared back at them. "To be what V-man, fairy tales, myths, movie props that scare children so they cry in their sleep? I wish you all would stop relaying on what you -- think -- you know and open yourself up to the possibility that not everything you believe is true. How long have you all known Kevin? Has he ever done anything to you beside be your friend?" "But why didn't he tell us in the first place?" Carl asked. "Oh gee Carl let me think about that one for a minute -- you moron." Kevin got up off the floor and approached Jake slowly after hearing his comment towards his friend. Jake could tell his new friend was not happy and took a step back. "What, like you've never called them a moron." "Just so you understand he doesn't mean you any harm, look at how protective he is of everyone," Adam told said as he looked at his stunned team. Both Kevin and Jake snapped their heads quickly towards the door. They could hear the quick footsteps and the hurried voices coming down the corridor. Bob Holiday took one look at Kevin, then towards the door and knew something wasn't right. "Boss, I think our little meeting is about to be interrupted by someone looking for a Navy SEAL who is supposed to be near death and in a coma." "Well this just got even more interesting. Kevin, you better change back while we try to keep them out." Adam and Carl rushed to the door while Kevin transformed back to his human form. The small group of men gasped aloud as a human Kevin slumped to the floor in the now shredded hospital gown. Jake helped him up while John unfolded the new gown and tossed it to Kevin. Adam could hear the doorknob rattle as the unwanted visitors tried to get in. "Dawson, make it easy on yourself and open the door." He could hear Major General Fairwood was not happy. "Um -- yeah General, we were just finishing up in here. Give us moment to collect ourselves." "Boss, this doesn't look good. How the hell are we going to explain a walking, talking, patient that got out of heart surgery within the last hour?" Bob asked as he rushed to the trashcan for the weapons and began handing them out. Adam looked around the room with an uncertain look. He couldn't tell his men he had no idea what to do now. A true leader always knew what to do in any crisis, but very few leaders were ever faced with a situation of having to explain miracles to a two star General before. "Try and stall for a few more minutes Adam, I have an idea," Garrett said as he grabbed the phone in the corner of the room. "God damn it Dawson! You open this fucking door or I'll have the MP's smash it down! That an order Lieutenant!" "Um -- hang on General, keep your panties on." Bob gave his team leader a stunned look. "What, it's the only thing I could come up with. You wanna get over here and talk to him instead? Whatever it is you're doing Garrett, would you mind picking up the pace a bit." "I'm gonna have your balls in my fucking desk Dawson. Sargent, destroy that damn door and get me in there." Adam and Carl braced themselves for the impact. As their bodies rocked back, they placed a foot behind them and kept the door braced. Carl smiled at the thought of an undersized Air Force puke slamming into a door that wouldn't give. Adam smiled back, but the friendly smile didn't last long. Luckily, their faces were about a foot apart as the working end of an axe split the wooden door between them. Just as they jumped back, it appeared again, where Carl's head was just moments ago. The team separated as they watched the door disintegrate into small pieces of useless lumber. A muscular Air Force sergeant kicked the rest of the door in and entered quickly. Behind him, another MP forced his way past the other, followed by General Fairwood and two nurses. The look on Fairwood's face gave little to the imagination, as he stood between the two Military Policemen, fuming with anger. "I'm going to have you doing time in the filthiest prison..." Major General Douglas Fairwood stood in absolute shock as he stared at the standing form of a patient he just operated on. Kevin saw the look on his face and smiled, then waved a hand at the speechless surgeon. "Hi there, you must be the guy who operated on me. Nice job in there, I feel good as new. There's a logical explanation to my standing here, I just can't put it in words just yet." "You -- you should -- the coma and..." Adam saw a chance to get out of this while the General was still stunned. "Kevin seems to be just fine, so if you'll excuse us." Adam only took one-step towards the doorway before Fairwood came to his senses. "You're not going anywhere Lieutenant. Sargent, place that man under arrest, now!" The muscular MP quickly pulled his 9mm Berretta out and pointed at Adam's chest. It would have been useful information to the MP that he was trying to arrest a Navy SEAL in front of his team, when he saw their weapons now trained on him and his partner. He slowly scanned the faces of the SEALs and realized he'd just made a grave mistake. The General puffed up his chest in defiance and stepped forward. "You men drop your weapons on the floor this instant! Do it now or you can all join him in the brig!" "No can do General. That's our team leader and the only place he goes is with us," Bob said as he pulled the hammer back on his Sig Sauer. "You snotty little son of bitch. If flogging was still used in the Navy, I'd have you..." Garrett Brown suddenly held the phone out towards the livid General. "Sorry to interrupt General, but someone would like a word with you." "Fuck you! I don't care who you've called, I'll have you all shot!" Garrett lowered the phone slightly and glared at the elderly man. "Sir, with all due respect to your rank, and the ability you showed in the operating room. If you don't answer this fucking phone, I'm gonna let the Chief there put one in your ass. Now answer the God -- damn- phone!" Fairwood stormed past the extended weapons of the SEALs and shoved Director Brown backwards as he grabbed the handset. He was shaking with fury as he looked at the CIA operative with daggers in his eyes. He brought the black device up to the side of his face, never loosing eye contact with Garret. "This is Major General Douglas Fairwood. Who the -- fuck -- is this!" he screamed. As the response came over the line, Fairwood smiled and gave a slight chuckle. "Yeah right, and I'm the fucking Easter Bunny. Nice to finally get to chat with..." Garrett's jaw dropped at the General's cynical remark and he took a step back. He could hear the screaming coming from the phone and wanted no part of it. As Kevin and Jake watched the blood rush from Fairwood's face, they turned their heads to pick up the faint voice on the other end of the phone. Kevin couldn't quite place the voice because of the screaming. Suddenly, it dawned on him who the General was talking to and joined Garrett in his look of astonishment. He moved closer to Jake and whispered softly enough that only he could hear him. "Please tell me that's not who I think it is." "Man, when the General steps in it, he really goes all out doesn't he," Jake replied with a quiet snicker. "Uh -- yes Sir -- I will Sir. I understand Sir, first flight out in the morning Sir." Adam looked over at Garrett who was busy trying to control the smile trying to spread across his face. When he looked over, Adam shrugged his shoulders in question but Garrett waved him off. The room was eerily quiet as the General slowly placed the phone into its cradle with shaking hands. He took a moment to gather what was left of his dignity, then turned to face the bewildered SEAL team. He took a deep breath and released it slowly. "Sargent, lower your side arm and step aside. These men are free to go, but I want Dvorska back in the recovery room." "Um -- General, I really feel fine and I can have the doctors check me over at Aviano." "Fine, if anything happens it's on you. Lieutenant, get the fuck out of my hospital, and I don't want to ever see your face again." "Yes Sir. SEAL team, on my ass. Bob, secure us transportation back to Aviano." The team hurriedly followed their leader out, as Kevin tried to keep the back of his gown closed. Garrett walked quickly past the others to get to Adam's side. When he tugged on his flight suit, Adam turned his head. "In case you were meaning to say it and forgot, you're welcome for getting you out of there." "I didn't forget. Hell, I could have called up a four star and got the same results." "I know, that's why I called the President instead," he replied with a laugh. Thanks for reading everyone. I hope it didn't twist and turn too much. Sorry I haven't put a lot of sex scenes in yet, but the story sort of flowed that way. Next chapter will have some racy scenes in for everyone, so just hang in there. Don't forget to vote and let me know how I'm doing. Happy New Year everyone. The Pandora Effect Ch. 06 Hi everyone, sorry for the time span between submissions, real life sort of got in the way with my make believe world. Thanks to Dawn once again for her editing and my friend Nulli with the help on the self-defense scene. Please enjoy the story and as promised, there is sex in this one, just not who you think. * Rashida Turk looked out into the orange sky as her shoulder length brown hair blew lazily around her face. She always loved watching the sky this time of the morning. Placing her arms across her human chest, the olive skinned werewolf squeezed as she fought the slight chill in the morning air. She turned her head and gazed lovingly at her mate Bashir. His soft brown hair, being ruffled in the light wind that blew around the top of Gibraltar. He had a pained look on his face as he peered through the high-powered observation glasses. They had been watching for any sign of the Naqada to approach the straits, or any small craft with Mansur Alba on board. She heard some rustling in the small bushes behind them and turned cautiously around. Just off in the distance, she saw a large male Barbary macaque scratching himself furiously. Behind him, the six females moved slowly back and forth. They would move, sit, scratch, then repeat the dance again. Rashida was aware of their presence, but the monkeys made no attempts at any physical harm. Perhaps they were aware of the truth that lay deep within the two humans. She pondered the idea of possibly training them once a sufficient number of wolves occupied the new order. If they were smart enough not to attack, maybe there was hope for the sub creatures in the new world. She turned back towards the soft rolling sea of the Mediterranean and joined her mate in the search for their other team member. Being subservient to the larger alpha, she would never blatantly speak her mind. If she were asked, she would have told her mate that she was becoming nervous about the way the mission was unfolding now. "It's possible the ship was delayed in the straits by Turkey. We'll wait until sunset tonight for the ship to pass," Bashir said as he stepped away from the glasses. "We might have missed him at the hotel on our way up here. We've been looking all night with no sign of him. Maybe the Naqada has already passed." "It's possible. He knew which hotel we were going to stay at. We'll head back and look for him there. We should get something to..." Bashir sniffed the air quickly as he looked around. He remembered that strange scent, but the last time it crossed his highly evolved senses was at a small café in Sevastopol, Ukraine. He could also smell two males accompanying her. "I highly doubt it's a coincidence that we're waiting on Mansur at Gibraltar, and now she shows up." Nadia Karpov smiled as she strolled up Ohara's road towards the peak's observation deck. Glancing behind her, she saw the two mercenaries scanning the surrounding area for any signs of danger. They seemed puzzled at the behavior of the monkeys as they walked up. This wasn't their first time on the rock, but it was the first time the wildlife acted so strangely. Even with their training, it made them both nervous. She looked ahead of her and could sense the two werewolves up at the top. She shook her head in despair with the thought of her great plan starting to unravel with these so-called terrorists. As she moved closer to them, she parted her jacket slightly and stroked the small white feather that hung from her lithe neck. Her mind flashed back to the beginning, although -- the creator -- thought it would be the end. The fall from grace was hard on her those many centuries ago. Dazed, confused, and trembling, she lay naked on the scorched earth around her. She rose slowly, as slowly as her sore body would allow her. She looked around for a sense of what direction to head off to, but with no indications of which way, she fell back to the ground in desolation. She quickly thought of asking for mercy and compassion from the father, then noticed something laying on the ground. A small white feather, it's delicate edges smoldering from the fiery fall. The stunning young woman crawled quickly across the dark earth and patted the lone remaining feather. The heat that her hands endured burned her now delicate skin as she recoiled in pain. The new feelings that consumed her forced her to cry out to him, though the answer never came. With trembling hands, she picked the feather up carefully and closed her eyes. Flashes of people wondering around structures filled her mind. She saw herself walking towards it as she passed small creatures running in fear. The image was replaced with her human form, receiving clothing and food from a stranger. She quickly opened her eyes and looked to her right. The realization that the lone feather would provide her some limited power hit her, as she lay back and laughed at the heavens. Suddenly, a new feeling overwhelmed her soul. She felt it grow within her to a feverous pitch and she jumped to her bare feet. "You might have banished me, but now I can feel all those human emotions you were so proud of, including the seven cardinal sins. You should have done more to prevent the opening of the box, and now I will make it my resolve to slowly destroy what you have come to create," the fallen angel screamed, then slowly started to walk to her destination. Nadia shook her head quickly to disperse the memory from her thoughts. She didn't want to help the wolves further, but with the images she saw, there was no turning away from it. If they were allowed to continue with their mission in its current state, her delicate plan would be in vain. As she approached Bashir, she smiled brightly and waved her hand in a friendly gesture. The two gentlemen behind her did not follow Nadia's pleasantry, as they sized up the man and woman in front of them. Neither one of them saw the female as a threat, but both of the mercenaries saw her as an inviting temptation if she were alone. "Well hello again you two. I see you like sunrises as much as I do." Nadia stared out into the distance and took a deep breath. "If you tracked us down for more money, I assure you woman..." "Oh please Bashir, don't start with that male supremacy shit again. I didn't approve of it in Sevastopol, and little has changed since then," she warned him as her companions moved closer. Rashida glared at the men. She knew it would be all too easy to rip them all to shreds in a few moments. She was hungry and her temperament was on edge as she moved to one side and flanked the intruders. "It seems my new friends are making you two nervous. Michael, Fredrick, would you two please excuse us for a moment. Why don't you go see what's bothering the monkeys." As the two men walked slowly away, Bashir began calculating the amount of time it would take to change, kill them, then hide the bodies. There wasn't much time before visitors began arriving for the view of the new morning. Rashida watched her mate as he glared at the intrusive woman. She knew he was ready to attack and would gladly be the first to strike her with the large talons she possessed. She almost felt anguish as her mate stepped back and leaned against the railing. "What is it you want -- Nadia?" he asked with a large hint of distain in his gruff voice. "See that wasn't so hard now was it? We can all be civil when we want to." "He asked you a question bitch. If you keep playing games with us, I'll..." Nadia turned to face the other women. "Yes I know. You'll turn into a large hideous beast and rip me to shreds with those four inch talons of yours." Bashir moved forward with a stunned look on his face. No one knew who they truly were and he kept that secret with great care. Now, a scientist, who he only met once, knew the truth about the existence of werewolves. Out of the corner of her eye, Nadia saw the large muscular male approach but she stood her ground as she looked at Rashida. Her face showed the same look of astonishment that her mate had. "How -- how do you..." Rashida failed to comprehend the sudden turn of events. "It's a gift my dear. I know a lot of..." Bashir moved to side of her and glared at the stunning young woman. "I've had enough of your games woman. Who are you really and how do you know about us? You don't smell right and that's enough reason for me to kill you," Bashir said as he sniffed the air around Nadia. "I beg your pardon. That really isn't a nice thing to say to a woman." "You have one minute to tell me what I want to know or I'm going to toss you off this rock," Bashir replied in a low angry voice. "Think of me as your guardian angel. I would say the same thing to your friend Mansur, but I'm afraid he won't be joining us for the rest of his life. Those men you killed in the small town of Krasnoselivk were special forces from the CIA." "How do you about that? You weren't..." "I told you Bashir, I'm your guardian angel. Since you took out those men, it forced the CIA to recruit help from an American Special Forces unit known as SEALs. They tracked you down and took out Mansur on the Naqada." "That's impossible, Mansur was one of us. He could have killed ten men before they ever got a chance to..." "It's not impossible when two of those men are werewolves like you. They know exactly what you plan to do and are going to find you sooner than later. They have unlimited resources and most of Europe is being watched." The two Lycanthropes took a step back and looked at each other. Bashir had always known there were more out there like him, but he was thunderstruck at the idea of one of them helping humans. As the thought twirled through his mind, he began to feel nauseous with the image of a werewolf playing alongside with the lower life form of a human. "Bashir, what are we going to do? If the Americans truly have traitors to our own kind helping them, there's no way we can..." "Shut up woman! When I want your opinion on the mission, I'll give it you. Let me think a moment," he growled at his mate as he turned to look back out to sea. Nadia shook her head in disgust. "Men, always thinking they're better than everyone else." "There is a way out of this Bashir, that is if you can control your emotions for more than five minutes," Nadia said sarcastically. Bashir turned quickly and was about to strike, when a noise caught his attention. He looked down the winding road at the tour bus heading to the peak. His frustration was growing as he turned to look at the insolent woman in front of him. Even though she knew things about them and the mission and could possibly help, he still felt like removing her supple throat. "It's becoming crowed up here. What did you have in mind -- Nadia?" "I don't know about you two but I'm famished. Let's go back to town and get something to eat, then I'll let you know how you can carry out your -- quest -- without any further setbacks." Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force Mediterranean (CJSOTF), Aviano Italy. Adam Dawson's flight suit clung to his muscular frame like a well-fitting glove. It hid no secret to the chiseled body beneath it, and Neal Hawkins' secretary knew it. As he and Garrett entered the reception room, she began to get moist between her shapely thighs. She smiled graciously at the visitors and indicated for them to take a seat, but what she really wanted to do was lean forward and run her pink tongue over her ruby red lips. She enjoyed the fringe benefits of working on the SEAL compound due to the amount of eye candy around her. Seeing the SEAL Lieutenant made her realize the others were just mere toys. "It should be just a few moments Mr. Dawson. Commander Hawkins had to take a very important phone call. He asked me to make you and Mr. Brown comfortable. Is there something you'd like, coffee, tea?" she whispered with a low sultry voice. "Oh -- um -- thanks we're fine." "How about some oral sex from a sex starved woman?" Her eyes glossed over at the thought of falling to her knees in front of him. Her mood changed when she saw the small square light on her phone go out. Now that the two men would be in a closed door meeting with her boss, she wouldn't get the opportunity to stare at the SEAL longer. Suddenly the intercom disrupted her thoughts. "Excuse me Rosa. Is Dawson and Brown here yet?" "Yes Commander, they arrived a few moments ago. I'll send them right in Sir." As Adam passed Rosa's desk, she turned slightly and leaned back. "If you're not busy tonight Mr. Dawson, I know a quiet little restaurant just off base." "Thanks Rosa. After I pick up my wife I'll run that by her," he replied as he opened the door and stepped through. Neal Hawkins was leaning back in the large brown leather chair. He had his hands clasped behind his head and the stern face he wore showed his displeasure with the two men. He didn't like the fact that one of the SEALs best operators was working with the CIA. No matter what capacity Garrett was acting in, he didn't trust the S.A.D man as far as he could throw him. Adam stepped forward and sat down in one of the smaller chairs in front of the senior SEAL. He knew his friend Neal wouldn't chew him out to bad, but he was worried on how to answer any of the old man's questions. "Good to see you again Neal. That's some interesting help you have out there." "Yeah, my wife thinks so too. Every time she comes to visit me at the office, I get the same look I'm giving you two clowns. A sort of a, what the fuck are you doing stupid, kind of look." "Sorry about the quick call for assistance Neal, it couldn't be helped." "I suppose you wouldn't mind telling why I had to pick you and your team off a submarine, or why the head of the base's medical department is in Washington." "Nice to meet you Commander Hawkins, my name is..." "I know who you are Mr. Brown. I just got off the phone with your boss, Tanner Eason. He doesn't like you very much and I share the sentiment. Is this the part of the conversation where you tell me that a mission that involves a SEAL team is classified and I don't have a need to know?" "Something like that Sir." Neal leaned forward and placed his hands on the polished desk. "Let's get something straight Brown. I hate the CIA, you guys fuck up more shit than Congress. If you plan to operate out of my compound, I have a need to know." "Garrett, he's got a point. We need to fill him in on Pandora," Adam interjected. He looked back at the glaring SEAL with an emotionless face. He didn't want to involve any more people, but his options were limited as he felt himself slowly getting squeezed into a corner. He shifted in his seat and released a heavy sigh as he began to inform the gray haired SEAL about Nadia Karpov. ********** Now that the lunch crowd was out of the Enlisted Club, the bar staff busied themselves with cleaning tables and rearranging the disorderly chairs. They didn't bat an eye as the six well-built men entered the building and quickly scanned the room. Chief Holiday led the fire team to the far corner and pulled a chair out next to the paneled wall. The other men followed suit, with Kevin and Jake being the last to sit down. The enlisted men of Fire Team Alpha had not discussed the sudden turn of events since leaving the hospital. It wasn't that they weren't curious about werewolves, or had no questions to ask, they just didn't know how to broach the subject. Carl was just about to try to introduce one of his questions, when a cute dark haired server walked up with a note pad. The team was courteous and relaxed as they ordered the beer. Dan Vasquez stopped her just before leaving and added a few baskets of hot wings. The petite young woman smiled and quickly jotted the food down, then left the men to their silent thoughts. Kevin looked around at the staff in the room. He wanted his friends to start up a conversation so the silence would end. He wondered if he made the right decision to tell the team about his true self. Maybe the archangel Gabriel was wrong about his take on the situation. Maybe it was the correct approach to only involve your true love. The young server shattered his thoughts as she placed the tray down and positioned the cold beers on the table. She chatted happily about food specials and planned events for later on this evening. Bob mumbled something about large crowds, then grabbed his beer and took a long pull. After leaving them, Carl was the first to break the unnatural silence that surrounded them. "I wonder how the Packers are doing back home? They might have a shot at the Super Bowl this year." "I doubt it Carl. Favre is getting old and he's lost some..." V-man started to say before Jake interrupted him. "Why don't you guys just say what's on your mind! I can't believe you guys call Kevin your friend. Hell, if this is the way it's going to be from now on, maybe Kevin, and I should do this ourselves." "I for one think it's pretty cool," John said as he took a hit of his beer. Bob Holiday leaned forward and stared hard at Kevin. "There's an awful lot of explaining to do, from both of you clowns. For starters, you can explain why you're walking and talking after being an inch from death." John suddenly became nervous. Kevin swore he would keep the angel's secret, but how was he going to pull it off without informing the others about what he saw in the processing area. There would be hell to pay with Gabriel if the truth came out. "You're probably not going to believe me anyway Bob," Kevin said softly. "After your little show and tell in the conference room, I'm willing to go on a little faith here." "The last thing I remember is getting hit on the Naqada, then I saw a white light and I sort of went to it. I was happy and warm, but then I heard this voice. It told me it wasn't time for me and then I remember waking up at the hospital. I can't explain it any better than that." "Wow Kev, you really went to heaven?" Carl asked. "I don't know. All I remember is a white light, and some voice. Why don't you ask me what's really on your mind, Bob?" "I don't even know where to begin with that one Dvorska. I thought I could trust you with my life." "You still can Chief. You think Adam, Kristine, or Laura is scared of me? Hell, I think Laura likes that side of me more than my human side." "Christ! You mean to tell me that Kristine knows about what you are?" "Yeah she knows -- who -- I am, and that's a really long story and I'd rather not get into it here." "So like do you, you know, change when it's a full moon?" V-man asked. "You watch too much TV dude. Kevin and I were born at birth like this. The ability to change at will hits you during puberty, and trust me, it's not easy to accept at first." Jake took a sip of his beer to let the news sink in. "I wish I could make you guys understand that my gift isn't easy for me to carry around. I don't make friends easily, and it sucks to hide my true self. You guys can start acting normal around me again, it's not like I'm gonna bite everyone and make you like me." "Can I ask you a question Kevin?" John asked. Kevin thought it was strange, given the angel's real identity, that he had a question. "Fire away Doc." "Do you get like fleas and shit when you run around as a werewolf?" The SEAL team burst out in a fit of laughter at the strange question. As Kevin watched his friends laugh, he realized this might be the way to accept him as an equal again and not the monster they thought he was. "Only during the summer time Doc, but I have a special flea collar for just the right occasion." Kevin rolled his eyes at the angel. "Hey Kev, I've got one for you. Do you like chase your tail, or get strange feelings around fire hydrants?" Once again the team laughed hard at V-man's statement. The Pandora Effect Ch. 06 "Wow you guys are a real riot. Come on Bob it's your turn for a stupid question," Kevin responded and then slammed what was left of his beer. "You have to admit those were pretty funny Dvorska, but I have a more serious one for you and Jake." "Christ, now what?" Jake said under his breath. "What happens to you two if you get taken out by the Pandora Effect?" The laughter stopped just as suddenly as it erupted. Every face was turned towards the two human-formed werewolves. "I'll field this one Kevin. To be honest Chief, more than likely the wolf side would try to emerge and survive. I can't even begin to conceive the devastation something like that would cause. My suggestion to you as the team's Chief is to arm everyone with those Desert Eagles we brought with us. I think I speak for both of us when I say, if either one of us gets infected you'd be doing the world a great favor by unloading the entire clip right between the eyes." "I don't know if I could do that to you Dvorska. You're still a Navy SEAL." "I guess you really don't have a choice Bob. At least I'll know I don't have to listen to anymore of V-man's fire hydrant jokes." Alpha fire team broke out in a hardy round of laughter once again, as the cute server appeared with two large baskets of hot wings. As the men dug into the spicy hot meat, Kevin felt at peace knowing that he indeed had his friends back. He also knew he could trust these men to keep the secret he so carefully guarded these long years. ********** Adam, Neal, and Garrett stood silently in the waning hours of the glowing sun as they watched the Gulfstream 2 slowly roll towards them. Two other SEALs in civilian clothing stood just behind, holding a small metal briefcase containing the recovered samples of the Pandora virus. Neal's thoughts were still spinning with astonishment as he played the story over repeatedly in his mind. "A few months, that's all I had to do. Now my last job on active duty is to stop the dead from coming back to life." Neal's thoughts faded quickly into the cool air as the Rolls-Royce engines throttled back to idle. As the contoured steps lowered, Kristine Dawson emerged from the bright interior. She smiled at the three men and quickly rushed out to meet her husband. Adam steadied himself for the oncoming embrace, but was shocked when she stopped short of the small group. "Where is that little bastard? When I get a hold of Kevin I'm going to slap him silly for making me lose sleep!" "Hi honey. Yes, I'm fine. You remember Neal don't you? Of course I'm hungry, thanks for asking." Adam had his hands on his hips as he smiled mockingly at his wife. "Oh I'm sorry sweetheart. It's just that he's got me so mad I can't think straight," she replied as she pressed her tender body against him. "You were supposed to be here a few hours ago, what kept you?" "We had to make a stop first. I'll tell you about it later when we're alone," she whispered in his ear. After releasing him, she quickly grabbed Neal Hawkins and squeezed tightly around his rugged mature body. After kissing his cheek affectionately, she stepped back and stared at the senior SEAL of the base. "It's good to see you again Neal. How's your wife Misty doing these days?" "She's fine Kristine, but she really has a burr under her saddle for me to retire and head back to the states." As the pilot brought out Kristine's luggage, he spoke briefly with Garrett. The Director motioned for the two other two SEALs to board the CIA transport. He had no worries that the virus would reach Langley safely, as Commander Hawkins assigned two of his best men as couriers. The small group turned and walked slowly towards the waiting car. Kristine squeezed Adam's hand gently, letting him know she loved him. They were almost to the vehicle when Kristine turned towards Hawkins. "I hope you don't mind me using your Intel people. My team really needs every piece we can get." Neal was stunned at the statement and gave Adam a hard scowl. "I know Neal, don't ask. I'll tell you about it later," Adam replied with a heavy sigh as he opened the car door for his deluded wife. "This whole -- my team shit -- is really getting on my nerves." ********** The music was loud to a point that the patrons of the Enlisted Club couldn't hear the karaoke contestant singing off key. When a high note came, the DJ nudged the volume dial a little bit further. Three people winced horridly at the inhuman screech. One of them was the half-drunk Air Force youngster trying to sing an old Air Supply song, badly, and the other two were a pair of werewolves trying hard not to kill him. Both Kevin and Jake tried hard to suppress the grimace of pain quickly spreading across their faces. Bob noticed that his point man was bothered by the rendition of the hit song and leaned forward on the table. "Hey Kev, is this one of those times when you want to scare the shit out of the patrons and kill someone," he screamed above the music. "I don't have to change to shut him up Bob. He'll have a hard enough time ruining that song with that microphone shoved up his ass!" Suddenly the song ended and Kevin didn't know if the drunk people were applauding because he did a good job, or that the torture was finally over. A pretty brunette server strolled up to the table and began picking the empty bottles up. She was more mature than the one the team started out with. Bob couldn't decide if her flirtatious demeanor and noticeable English accent was a ploy to increase her tips, or she was genuinely searching. "Are you kids ready for another round, or is it too close to bed time for -- most -- of you?" Bob Holiday saw the gleam in her soft brown eyes as the last statement rolled off her tongue like sweet candy. Jake reached into his wallet and tossed some money onto the full tray of bottles. "Don't worry, our mothers said we could stay out late tonight since we don't have school in the morning. We'll take another round, and there's another fifty in it for you if you poison the last singer." The brunette locked eyes with the seasoned SEAL Chief. "Oh I think I can come up with something that will stop his heart." After the busty woman left, V-man leaned over towards his Chief. He didn't notice the movement because Bob was totally engrossed in watching her sway her flared hips. He tried hard not to blush as she stopped and turned her head to see if he was watching her. She quickly flashed a bright smile and continued towards the bar. "I never thought I'd say this to you Bob, but that hot mama has got it bad for you." Dan Vazquez chuckled as he leaned back in his seat. "Shut up V-man. I know a lady who's trying to work for more tips when I see one." Carl shuddered as if he were cold. "What the hell's wrong with you Werner?" "Nothing Chief, it's just that I got this quick image of you two in bed. It's like catching your parents having sex." Every man at the table moaned in disgust at the halfhearted remark. Bob on the other hand glared at his heavy gunner, then with lightning reflexes, slapped Carl in the back of his head. The moans quickly turned to laughter as Carl's body fell forward. "Nice to see everyone is getting along once more. Is Carl running his mouth again Bob?" Adam Dawson stood next to his team and peered down at them with his powerful arms crossed over his chest. Next to him stood Garrett Brown and Neal Hawkins, who shook his head in disbelief as Carl rubbed the back of his stinging head. "Damn Werner, I thought you would have grown out of being stupid by now. Are you clowns gonna move over so we can sit down, or do we have to find our own table?" The younger men quickly moved so that the senior SEAL and their team leader could join them. After moving the chairs around, Neal turned and looked for a server so he could buy a round for his favorite team. "Hey Adam, I thought you two were picking up Kristine?" "Keep your pants on Kevin, she went to the ladies room. I should warn you that she's pretty ticked off with you." "What the hell did I do?" Kevin had a quizzical look on his face as the brunette bombshell came up and started setting beers in front of everyone. As she went around the table, she quickly switched hands and served Bob a cold beer. When he reached for it, the flirty woman slipped a small piece of paper into the palm of his hand. She took the new arrivals order then shot Chief Holiday a quick glance. With a wink of her eye, she turned and retreated to the bar for the drinks. "You've got to be kidding me Bob! I leave you guys alone for a few hours and you're out hunting for a wife for the night?" "I didn't start this Adam. She's coming on to me so she can get more tips!" Kevin leaned towards him. "So that note she just slipped you is really our bar tab?" "Don't make me get up and slap you silly Dvorska." "I'll save you the trouble Bob," Kristine said sternly. In one fluid motion, she slammed her fist into Kevin's shoulder. As he winched in mock pain, she placed her hands on her slender hips. "That's for making me lose sleep, you jackass. I have half a mind to put you back in the hospital Kevin Dvorska. Don't ever put me in that..." "Okay Kristine, I think he gets the point," Adam interrupted. Alpha fire team tried hard to stifle the laughs at the petite woman. They couldn't deny that it was humorous to see her glaring at someone who she knew to be a werewolf. Bob finally realized that Kevin was no more a threat to any of them than a small Chihuahua would be. Adam was just about to pull a seat out for her when the tone-deaf singer from a short while ago approached. When he reached the table, he placed his arm around Kristine's slender shoulder. The entire team watched cautiously, but made no attempt to interfere. "Hey gorgeous, why don't you come sit with a group of real men. I'm doing another number in a few minutes and I want you front and center so I can sing you a love song." The young man couldn't help but slur his words as he tried to lead her away. "Sounds like a tempting offer, but I'll take my chances with them. Now if you don't mind, would you kindly remove your arm?" "Oh come on cupcake, I can show you a real good time." Adam Dawson watched his wife's eyes for any sign of fear, or the need for assistance. What he did see, forced him to grab a lone empty beer bottle and move it out of the way. The SEALs quickly picked up their drinks and held them close, everyone but Jake Newton. "Better grab your beer Brother," Kevin whispered. "No way, I might have to help Kristine with..." "You should know that I really hate being called cupcake," Kristine growled. The SEAL wife moved her left hand across her chest and took hold of the drunk's hand. As his thumb was pushed in, he winced in pain as the digit started to dislocate. She quickly turned his wrist and transferred the now useless appendage into her right hand. As she ducked under his arm, Kristine bent the wrist upward which caused the drunk to shift his weight forward to avoid any more pain. Quickly, she grabbed a handful of black greasy hair and slammed the drunken Airman face first into the hard table. As the wood shook violently, Jake's beer toppled into his lap and soaked the dark slacks he wore. "I tried to warn you Marine. That's why we all picked up our beers. Guess those reflexes only work in the field," Kevin chuckled to his werewolf companion. Adam leaned over and came face to face with the stunned drunk. "That really looked like it hurt. I guess I shouldn't have shown my wife here how to do that, although you have to admit it was a pretty good move." One of the bouncers quickly came up and latched onto the young man. As he was escorted out of the building, his friends jumped up and went after him. They all looked a bit nervous as they steered clear of the table full of Navy SEALs. Now that the excitement was over, Bob placed his hands under the table and unfolded the small note. "You look good enough to eat. My break is at eight, and if you're interested meet me by the kitchen entrance. Nancy." Bob placed the note in his pocket and looked back at the small group. All eyes were trained on him as he cleared his throat and quickly grabbed his beer. Kristine looked around at the staring faces and wondered why everyone was so interested in the team's Chief looking down in his lap. "Is there something I missed fellas?" "No Kristine, Bob here is just checking the bar tab." Kevin laughed as he finished off his beer. Just then, Nancy came up with a fresh tray of beers along with a gin and tonic for Kristine. As the drinks were passed out, Nancy kept glancing at Bob for any sign of acceptance to her offer. When she collected the money, she paused for just a moment as Bob checked his watch. "Wow, look at the time, it's almost eight. I guess we'll have to stay awhile Boss. We don't need to call it a night so soon do we?" "What the hell are you talking about Bob? We just got here and I wouldn't mind unwinding for a bit if it's all the same to you." Nancy smiled slightly as her ivory skin took on a hint of crimson. "I'll be going on break soon, but I'll make sure you -- men -- are taken care of." She walked away at a fast pace, but she didn't realize that two of them had extremely capable hearing. "I'm going to bloody take care of that hunk of man meat for sure." Kevin and Jake looked at each other with astonished faces, and then almost fell out of their chairs with laughter. The others looked at them as Adam reached out and caught his friend before he fell. "I'm glad to see everyone enjoying themselves," Neal said as he placed his hand in his jacket pocket. "Sorry Commander, it's been a long couple of weeks for the guys," Adam proclaimed as he tried to direct any displeasure away from his team. "I don't think all of you know that I'm retiring in a few months." The gasps of disbelief filled the musty air as the statement took hold. "No fucking way Sir, you can't do that!" Bob screamed out. "I can see Lieutenant that you still have a hard time keeping your men in line." Adam shot Bob a silencing stare. "Yes Sir, I'll have to have a talk with them about manners while out in public." "Well since you can't do it as a Lieutenant, perhaps you'll be more successful as a Lieutenant Commander." Commander Hawkins placed a worn set of gold oak leaves on the table in front of his longtime friend. Adam looked at the small collar devices in disbelief, as tears started to form in Kristine's sparkling blue eyes. He picked up the tarnished pendants and looked back at Neal. "They were mine quite a few years back; I thought they might bring you some luck. Congratulations Lieutenant Commander Dawson." Cheers went up for the newly promoted team leader. The SEALs smiled and clapped their hands as the two Officers shook hands. Kristine leaned in close to her husband and hugged him tightly. As the two embraced, Kevin looked on with admiration. His friend had taken a chance on a new point man years ago, a chance that changed the course of his life forever. "Congratulations Lieutenant Commander. This still won't make me salute you," Kevin said as he shook his hand. "I knew I did a fine job training you, Boss. Trust the Chief and you shall prosper," Bob said with a short laugh. Neal Hawkins leaned over the table and stared hard at the seasoned veteran. "I couldn't agree with you more Bob. Behind every good Officer, there is a Chief making it all happen. Let's see if you can continue the success with these on your collar." Hawkins slid over a pair of gold anchors, just like the ones he wore on his official uniform. When Bob looked down, he saw the shimmering silver star on top of them. The rank of Senior Chief was attained by only three percent of all Chiefs in the Navy. Bob Holiday realized this and picked them up with a slightly trembling hand. As he looked closer at the anchors, he noticed some wear marks along the edges. It could only mean another Senior Chief used them in the past. "I see you've noticed that they're a bit worn Senior Chief, let me solve the puzzle for you. Those belonged to Senior Chief Andrew Stall from Bravo squad. If anyone got them, I'm sure he'd want it to be you." Bob Holiday started to choke up as he remembered the torn body of his friend on a cliff above Predjama Castle. Wanting to keep his emotions in check, Bob moved his chair back and stood up. As he placed the treasured anchors in his pocket, he pulled out his wallet and tossed a wad of bills onto the table. "You bozo's try not to drink all that by yourselves. When I get back, I had better have a cold one waiting for me. I'm going to call my sister and tell her the news," the new Senior Chief said, and then moved around his friends and teammates. After he was gone, Neal turned to Adam and Kristine. "I'd love to hang around and celebrate with you and the rest of the team, but my better half would have my lower half if you know what I mean. Have your team in the briefing room by 0900 hours." "I'll make sure they're all present and accounted for Neal," Kristine said as she took a sip of her Gin and tonic. Neal once again gave Kristine's husband a quizzical look, but shook his head and left the SEAL team to continue the party alone. Nancy's replacement scooted around the elder SEAL and set her tray down to collect the empties. She was younger than Nancy, but worked quickly to complete her task and take their orders. Kevin looked towards the area of the phones but realized his team Chief went towards the bar area. He turned and looked the other way and found his fellow werewolf looking at him with surprise. With a large smile on his face, he gave a hurried chuckle. "Don't worry Kev; I'm sure he's in capable hands." "Her hands don't worry me. I just don't want him to have a heart attack with that man-eater," Kevin replied with a smile. ********** Bob Holiday scanned the area on the other side of the bar. The area had fewer tables than the main area where his team celebrated without him. He questioned his actions as he noticed the entrance to the kitchen area was unoccupied. He wondered if he was set up from the start just to get better tips from the mature women. He was about to walk away when he saw Nancy come out of the kitchen as she dried her hands on a small towel. When their eyes met, a smile formed slowly on her aged face. The gleam in her hazel eyes proved to him she wasn't after tips, not the money kind anyway. With a nod of her head, Nancy moved towards a dimly lit hallway and went down about halfway. She looked over her shoulder to see if Bob followed her. When she saw him appear, she looked at the other patrons to see if any of them noticed the two enter. As he came up beside her, she quickly opened the door and pulled him inside the large storage closet. Once he was safely out of the way, she shut the door and locked it from the inside. Nancy ran her hand against the wall and felt for the light switch. When she flicked the small white switch, the room glowed in the soft light. Bob quickly adjusted his eyes and scanned the room. There were shelves on both sides along with a folding table along the back wall. When he looked back at Nancy, she had her hands behind her shapely ass and a sly smile on her face. Her brown hair was hanging loosely to one side as she looked down and checked her watch. "I don't want to seem forward here, but I've only got fifteen minutes before they start looking for me. Fancy skipping the foreplay on this one?" Her rich English accent made his cock stir in his pants. "Well I wouldn't want you to get you in trouble with the management. Maybe we can..." Nancy's impatient lips quickly silenced the beefy SEAL, as she pressed her body against him. Bob wrapped his powerful arms around her and lifted her up, then set her down on the table behind him. He felt a bit out of sorts since he hadn't done this in a long time. With the aggressive nature she displayed, Bob thought she might be in the same situation. The Pandora Effect Ch. 06 While Bob was moving her skirt up and trying to pull her panties down, Nancy's hands were pulling at his belt buckle and literally ripping at the snap beneath it. As the clothing came free, the two strangers kissed each other like long lost lovers. The mature server grasped Bob's cock and found it rock hard and throbbing. When she ran her thumb over the bulbous head, she felt the warm pre-cum leaking from the velvety dome. He felt the movement around his sensitive cock and moaned deeply against her searching tongue. He wanted to repay the favor of manipulating his cock so skillfully. Bob slid his fingers from her meaty breast and quickly found her pulsing clit. As he flicked it quickly, she shifted her hips forward and prepared herself to be fucked by the SEAL that excited her so much. "I hope you have something -- more -- in mind when it comes to pleasing that area down there." "It's been a while for me so any expectations you have about..." "We have a time limit here. Are you going to use your mouth for more than excuses?" "I think I can find a more suitable use." With reflexes not possessed by normal men, he quickly dropped to his knees and clamped his lips around her pulsing clit. Nancy spread her legs further as her head rolled to the side. She placed her hands on the back of his head and drew him tighter against her. "Oh shit love that is a more suitable use." Bob moaned loudly against her dripping sex, which caused the vibrations to tingle her inner most nerve endings. He pushed her closer to the brink as he slid two meaty fingers into the slick opening between the significant lips. His exploits were rewarded by a low throaty groan from the woman he met just hours ago. She allowed him to manipulate her for a few moments longer, then gently pulled his head up towards her waiting mouth. Bob's cock throbbed wildly at the idea of Nancy tasting herself on his tongue. Either she was a tigress in bed, or she was wildly insane with need. The two sex hungry couple kissed wildly, as the mature woman placed one hand around the base of Bob's cock and the other on his taut ass. When she had the tip of him snuggly inside her sex, she moved her hand away from his cock and pulled him deeper inside. Bob felt the moist heat engulf his cock as he penetrated her body. He had to concentrate on just kissing her, or risk blasting his hot cum as his full balls rested on her grinding ass. "Oh bloody hell, I almost forgot how good that feels." "We're both in the same boat Nancy. It's a pity that you only -- shit don't squeeze -- have a short break," Bob whimpered as he thrust his cock in and out of the slippery pussy. Nancy held her new lover close as she panted with each lunge. Her senses were in overdrive as her orgasm raced onward. She began to tremble as Bob slowly ran his hand underneath her shirt. When he reached her bra, his fingers wormed their way under the edge and released the tender flesh to the open air. Nancy knew he was out of practice, as her upper body quickly become uncomfortable from her bra being moved out of place. Quickly she lifted her shirt and pulled the other cup free. With her nipples exposed, she felt more alive than she had in years. Bob felt her move her shirt up and thought this was an invitation to attack her breasts. Even as he pushed his cock repeatedly into her body, Bob was able to lean his head down and suck one of her nipples into his warm, moist mouth. When she moved a hand to his head, she pressed the sucking lips closer. Her body quivered as the sensitive nub was subjected to a fierce attack by her lovers tongue. "Oh damn, I can't -- I won't be able to -- are you, close?" She received her answer as he released a deep growl against the tender flesh of her breast. The quivering of her body began to grow from small shivers to a whole body tremor. As the woman held tight to his now sweating form, he placed his teeth against her nipple and bit down lightly. With the nub effectively trapped, he flicked it quickly with the tip of his snake like tongue. The small leaks that flowed from the dam soon turned to rushing water. As her orgasm broke through the barrier, she wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him deeper into her body. When Bob felt her sex clamp down around him, his own barrier found release and shot rope after rope of scalding hot cum inside her. Nancy wanted to shout out in bliss but knew she couldn't, so she clamped her gaping mouth against his shoulder and screamed. Bob didn't try to stop her, he understood all too well because it took all the control he had not to join her. The Navy SEAL bit his lower lip as he felt her teeth quickly pierce his skin. The pair panted and gasped for air as the eruption subsided. Bob leaned back and looked at Nancy, her eyes were glazed over, and she seemed disoriented. He leaned forward and slowly placed his lips against hers and kissed her softly. The kiss lasted mere moments, as the couple struggled for air. ********** Adam stared at his watch for the third time in the last fifteen minutes. He turned and looked around the club for the newly promoted Senior Chief. When he still didn't see him, he reached down and finished off his beer. The team needed another round and he flagged the server over to the table. After collect the bottles, minus the one still waiting in front of Bob's empty chair, she scurried off towards the bar. Kristine placed her delicate hand on top of Adam's more masculine one and lightly squeezed. Her calming eyes seemed to place him at ease about the extra circulative activities of his friend. "I'm sure he's fine dear. He just got promoted and wants to celebrate a little, and what better way than with a little horsing around with a beautiful woman. Which reminds me; someone else got promoted and deserves a reward." "That sounds like a great idea. You buy the next round Kristine. Good thinking Dear." Kristine punched his arm at the remark and put on a little pout. The others at the table saw her and started laughing. Kevin leaned over and smiled at her. When she got his eye, she turned her pout into a scowl and glared at him. "Don't even start with me Kevin, you're still on my shit list." "Oh come on Kristine. How many times to you want me to say I'm sorry tonight? Besides it's V-man's fault." Dan Vasquez shot his eyes open and gasped in disbelief. "How the hell am I at fault for you getting shot dumbass?" "You were supposed to -- kill -- that sniper, not wound him," he said in a quiet voice. "It's Carl's fault because he drives a zodiac like a little old lady," he replied in an equally quiet voice. The blame game came to a halt as Bob rejoined the group of SEALs. "Personally I think it's Jake's fault." "Now wait just a damn minute Bob. Just because I'm not a SEAL, don't point fingers at me you old goat." Bob sat down and took a very long pull off the now warm beer. He set it back down and leaned over towards the smiling CIA operative. "Well I thought with all those enhanced abilities you two clowns have, one of you should have sensed him up there." Kristine looked at Bob Holiday as he smiled back at Jake. A perplexed look crept across her elegant face as she stared at the nodding heads of Alpha fire team. There was no way he could know about Kevin's true self. "I don't understand. Adam is there something you forgot to brief me on before we arrived?" "Oops, I guess I did forget to mention a few things sweetheart. Um -- Kevin sort of had to come clean on a few issues about his life. It's a long story that I'll tell you about later." "Oh my God, Kevin you didn't?" Kristine was in a state of shock as she stared at her werewolf friend. "Sorry Kristine, that's what you get for not being here. You have to miss all the fun moments," Kevin said as Karen came up with a tray full of drinks. Bob looked at the mature woman whose hair was now tied up in a long ponytail. She had a flushed face and seemed rushed as she tried to get back to a normal work pace. Kevin took a quick sniff of the air and knew right away why she was flustered. "Nice to see we have our server back, I was getting worried a little. How was your break?" Kevin asked. "Oh, um, it was good. You know how it is love, just to get off your feet for a few minutes can be quite rewarding." With a polished smile, she glanced at her new friend with admiration. She left them and went to check on the other tables, as Kevin reached over for one of the beers. "You should have that shoulder checked out Bob." "How did you know about..." "Woof, woof," he replied with a quick laugh. Jake waived a hand in front of his nose as he grimaced in mock annoyance. "Yeah really Senior Chief, take two showers before you come to work in the morning." "Why don't you two morons go chase a parked car or a mailman?" Kristine placed her hand on her forehead and stared blankly at the tabletop. "This is all so confusing. Just for the record, how did they take it Adam?" "I'll tell you how we took it," Garrett said. "I almost shit myself when I first saw the damn thing. I still can't believe after all this time you never told me Jake." "Hey what do you want from me? Rules are rules Garrett, besides, you would have had me shot." "Probably. Speaking of rules, why were you late on getting in tonight Kristine?" "Yeah Kristine, you said something earlier about taking a detour." "Well I was saving this for later because I didn't want to risk the rest of the team finding out about Kevin. Since the cat's, or should I say wolf's, out of the bag I guess I can do it now." Kristine unbuttoned the top two clasps of her contoured jacket revealing her supple skin below. Adam's eyes shot open as his wife began undressing in public. Even Kevin stole a glance as she reached into her clothing and pulled the thick silver chain over her head. The young werewolf's heart stopped as his family heirloom came into view. Kristine placed the medallion on the table in front of Kevin. The others of Alpha fire team stared at the small object. It was about two inches in diameter with strange symbols craved around the outside. In the center of it was a bright red stone that appeared to be a ruby of some sort. Jake gasped in shock as the realization of what was lying on the table hit him. "That's not possible. Is that what I think it is?" "Yep, the Lycanthrope Medallion. What I don't understand is why you brought it here and what in God's name are you doing with it under your clothes? People would kill for this thing Kristine." Kevin quickly picked it up and placed it around his neck. After fixing his shirt, he glared at Kristine hard. "First off, I knew it would be useful to you ever since I found out you were shot. Secondly, where the hell did you want me to hide it, in my ass?" "I'm sorry Kristine, thanks for picking this up for me and you're right, it will come in handy." Jake was still staring at Kevin's chest. "Um -- I've only heard stories about the medallion. Mind if a fellow predator takes a closer look?" "Since you're on my side, I don't see any harm. Just don't get any funny ideas about wanting to try it out." Kevin pulled the precious medallion once again into the open as Jake held it tenderly in his hand. "Not to sound stupid Dvorska, but what the hell is that thing?" Bob was leaning over the table trying to get a closer look at the strange amulet. "Jake, you want to stab at that one?" "It's called the Lycanthrope Medallion. It increases someone's ability when worn next to the skin, sort of like a super wolf. No one really knows where it came from or how old it is..." "Oh I have an idea Jake," Kevin thought as he looked up. "I never thought I'd actually get to see it. How did you get your hands on it?" "Long story buddy. Okay show and tell time is over," Kevin said as he placed it back underneath his shirt and raised his beer in a toast. "Gentlemen, I think our odds of success just got better. To a successful mission." The SEALs raised their drinks and tapped the bottles together. After taking a healthy portion in, they all leaned back in their chairs. Bob set his beer on the table and stared at it. "Now if we can just find out where the other two are, we can go home." * I hope you enjoyed this installment of 'The Pandora Effect' and weren't too shocked at Bob finally getting a little nookie for a change. I'll try not to make you wait too long for the next chapter. Don't forget to vote, and let me know what you thought. Hopefully I'm getting better at this writing thing. The Pandora Effect Ch. 07 Thanks to all of you who keep giving me advice, it is appreciated. Thanks to Dawn for the help with editing and guidance, you really are the greatest. Not to give too much away, but one of MizT's friends is back. Sit back, relax, and enjoy this installment of 'The Pandora Effect'. * Bashir Haddad pushed the old beige curtain over and peered cautiously outside. He watched as Nadia slid into the passenger seat of the grey sedan and shut the door. The driver, a young blond haired man with stylish clothing, carefully maneuvered the car out of the parking lot and drove out of sight. The terrorist, who was bent on world domination by werewolves, released a low menacing rumble as his wife and co-conspirator sat quietly and watched him. Rashida had one hand placed in her lap, while the other rested on top of the small pile of maps and photos Nadia brought with her. While the fallen angel discussed her idea on how to release the deadly virus, Rashida remained quiet. It was never a good idea to interrupt her husband while discussing business. The olive skinned beauty released a soft sigh, which got Bashir's attention. Slowly, he let the drape fall to its normal resting place, and turned to look at his werewolf mate. "I don't like that bitch one bit. Something doesn't smell right with her, or how she knows so much about these so called Special Forces that took out Mansur." "You know I would never question your talent when it came to tactics, but what if she's right about these Navy men. If they truly are working with the CIA, then it will be just a matter of time before they figure out about Scotland." "Watch your tone woman. I don't believe for one second a group of sailors could ever take out a werewolf. I think that bitch of a scientist had something to do with it, I just don't know how she did it." "I'm sorry Bashir, I meant no offense. What are your thoughts on two of them being like us? That is if what she said was true about the Navy men." "I can't see a pair of werewolves working with humans like some kind of pet. It makes my stomach turn at the thought. The only thing I found plausibly true was the trouble we're going to have moving the virus around." Bashir turned towards the window and once again moved the drape open slightly. This time he looked up into the sky as he wondered if the Americans had a satellite on their position at this very moment. He scanned the parking lot but noticed nothing out of the ordinary. He silently chided himself for thinking they were being watched. Rashid moved her delicate fingers over one of the photos on the table and spun it around. The area looked discreet enough and she noticed very little security around the port. She silently wished her mate would accept Nadia's idea on releasing the virus. It sounded like the perfect plan with a low percentage of failure. She moved the photo out of the way and picked up the schematics for the environmental control systems of the building. If they could get the virus connected to it, the mission would be deemed a success and they two of them could wait for the humans to die off rapidly. She didn't like or trust Nadia Karpov any more than her mate did, but the suggestion of where to release it was brilliant. It could be transported worldwide in the matter of a day and no one would be able to stop it. She looked up at her pacing mate, as he contemplated what actions to take next. "I wouldn't let Nadia trouble you so much. She's just a scientist with an over active imagination. I bet we prove her wrong when Mansur knocks on that door and tells us the ship is now on its way to the United States." "I need to take my mind of the mission for a few hours. I need to think with a clear head and this bitch has gotten on my nerves for the last time." Rashida placed the schematic back on the table. She knew what he needed and there was only one woman who could provide the distraction he desperately needed. She slowly unbuttoned the front of her dress and allowed her pert breasts to be viewed by her mate. As she moved the material off her shoulders, it fell down around her waist as she waited for Bashir to notice her. With a knowing smile, he turned as he heard the soft flutter of material sliding to the chair. Bashir watched as his mate opened her legs and leaned forward, placing her hands on her silky smooth thighs. Her head slightly leaned forward as she parted her lips for him. Even though it was normal for women from their country to be submissive, it was even more so when it came to werewolves. He was the alpha male, supreme to anyone in his pack. He could have her any way he wanted and right now, he wanted what she was suggesting. "Yes, I think that would be a suitable distraction," he whispered as he slowly moved in front of her. As he stood between her splayed thighs, he reached down and palmed the perky mound of her chest as she worked on his pants. When he squeezed her tit flesh roughly, Rashida moaned in pleasure. She knew she was about to be on the receiving end of his frustrations, and she smiled at the idea of being used as a sex toy. Rashida pulled the slacks down to his knees and stroked his hardening cock. Her mate moaned as he felt the hot tongue slid over the mushroom head and lick at the dripping hole. When she felt his powerful hands on the sides of her head, she obediently opened her mouth as her face was pulled forward. The human form of the female werewolf fought the urge to gag as the large tip entered her throat. She didn't want to show any weakness as her nose brushed against his pubic hair. The meaty cock pulsed with excitement as the warmth of her mouth surrounded him. Bashir wrapped his fingers in her silky brown hair and pulled her mouth off him. Quickly she placed her small hand around his cock and marveled at the girth. She kept the cock pointed at her lips as he looked down at the waiting entrance to her tight throat. With a quick movement, he buried his cock deep and more pre-cum oozed out as he felt her tongue dance around the hard flesh. He held most of his cock in her sucking mouth as he made short thrusting movements with his hips. The bulbous head moved rapidly in and out the tight entrance of her throat as she looked up at her mate. "How did you know what I needed woman?" She moaned loudly as Rashida allowed her mate to use her face to excite himself. When he pulled his cock free, she jacked the now slippery shaft with a tight fist. "It's my responsibility to know what you need to relax. You can have me any way you want so that we can get back to achieving our mission." Bashir thrust his cock forward as his mate gladly took the assault. As his mind flashed with the vision of a smiling Nadia, his anger grew and he increased the pressure of his strong hands. He silently wished he could be doing this to the smug woman who thought she was better than they were. Rashida slowly ran her hand up her mate's muscular thigh and cupped his swinging balls in her palm. From the urgency he displayed at the pace his was thrusting his cock, she knew he needed release. She heard him moan as she massaged the heavy cum filled sack. Rashida enjoyed the fact that he become more vocal about her ability, at least she thought he was talking about her. "That's it you bitch, suck it." With a deep moan, Rashida sent vibrations around the rapidly throbbing cock. "Fucking little bitch! I'm going to flood that throat with my cum. You better swallow every drop or I'll make you pay," Bashir growled loudly as he pictured the arrogant scientist on her knees, servicing him like a common whore. Rashida continued to moan as her husband raced towards his release. "That's it my mate, make me pay like the bitch I am." With a final thrust, he buried his cock as far deep as it would go. He held the dark haired beauty's head down roughly, as he emptied the contents of his balls straight into her esophagus. Stream after stream of thick white cum flowed from his cock as Rashida struggled to swallow it all. She couldn't remember the last time he came so hard, and she drank from him noisily. As Bashir pulled his softening cock free of her mouth, he fell back into an open chair and leaned his head back. The prideful female werewolf sat back as well, leaving her dress bundled around her slim waist. Rashida felt a small amount of her lover's seed on her chin and raised a finger to her face. After scooping the remains into her supple mouth, she looked over at her drained husband. "After you recover, we can either go over the plan or, if you wish, you can take me." "We'll go over the route to the ferry terminal. I'll need some relief after accepting that bitch's idea of how to disperse the virus. Now show me the environmental schematics." Briefing Room, SEAL Compound, Aviano Italy. Neal Hawkins stood at the head of the large polished table. He tried to hide the worried look on his face as Alpha fire team took their seats. Behind him was a large map of Europe with small blue circles in Russia, the Ukraine, and an area just south of Sicily. When everyone was settled, the senior SEAL on base addressed his team. "Before we begin, I'd just like to say how nice it is to have my favorite team leader back on base." He made a point to look directly at Adam Dawson. "I would also like to welcome back a very talented -- Intel Officer -- and Adam's wife, Kristine. Kristine thought it was odd that he would welcome them like that since he saw them just last night at the club. She smiled brightly back at him, but inside she was screaming to get on with the briefing. She knew Neal didn't understand that a pair of werewolves were in possession of the world's deadliest virus. Commander Hawkins turned towards the map and placed a long wooden pointer on the circle in the Ukraine. "Since the unexpected arrival of your team Adam, I've looked over the Intel and have a theory on what they plan to do. Of course, I leave it up to Kristine to figure it out but I thought I'd throw my two cents worth in." "A fresh set of eyes never hurt anything Neal," Kristine responded as she watched the elder SEAL. "Now Garrett, you lost a team here in Krasnoselivk. You had Intel on the whereabouts of Major Karpov and allowed the tangos to get close enough to attempt an assault." "That's correct Sir. That was the third team to try." "The mission failed and they got their hands on the virus. Adam's team took out one here in the Mediterranean. The thing that had me puzzled was why separate your forces?" "Maybe that's the mission details for them Sir," Kevin said as he shifted in his seat. "That's what I thought too Dvorska, but why separate when you're stronger as a team?" "Why do you think they separated Neal?" Adam asked. "Personally, I don't think they ever intended to separate. Given the route the Naqada was on, it was headed straight for Gibraltar. Why not set the ship on cruise control and hop off near shore? Kristine got up and approached the map. As she studied it, she saw that what Neal was saying made sense. The only thing that didn't add up was why hire mercenaries to guard the ship after he left. The virus would have killed them also. "Why leave the virus with mercenaries who could have taken it and used it for their own agenda?" "Easy, they didn't know it was on board. I think your tango was going to meet up with the others here in Gibraltar. Now where to go after that is the million dollar question of the day, but that's why you have a job Mrs. Dawson." Neal handed her the pointer and strode towards the door. As he opened it, he turned around to the team. "When you come up with a game plan, let me know, I'll be in my office going over job offers." The SEALs turned in their chairs and stared at Kristine who was studying the map again. Her focus was the coastline of Spain and France, because if Neal was correct she wondered how they would continue to move the virus. Adam decided to interrupt her raging thoughts. "I smell the smoke from over here Kristine. What's on your mind?" "Why the hell would they go from Ordzhonikidze all the way to the rock with that much virus? You'd have to get it out of Europe to do any real harm to the world, so if Neal is right, where do they go from here?" "My concern is where to point the damn satellites. I know I'm the Director of the S.A.D. but I only have so many birds I can throw at this." Adam leaned his head back and stared at the ceiling. He let out a heavy sigh and placed his hands behind his head. "Let's go over what we do know again. Garrett, how is it spread?" "Airborne. Infection, followed by death, followed by 'The Night of the Living Dead' movie." "The tangos can't keep trying to release small amounts without being compromised. They gotta get rid of the shit quickly, now that their furry little friend is out of the picture." John Balch got up and moved towards the map. He ran his fingers along the coastline from Portugal to Denmark, then turned to look at Garrett. He had a troubled look on his face and Adam knew something was bothering him. "You have something to add, Doc?" "If they want to get it out of the country, about how many ports are we going to have to cover? There's only like a thousand ways to move the virus." Garrett looked at the young medic. "Not as many as you think Doc. We've got bulletins all over the place and I have agents in all of the major ports." "Alright listen up everyone. We're just going to keep coming up with more questions than answers doing this. Kristine, Garrett, you two head to the Intel center and start moving birds around. We might get lucky if they show themselves." "I'll get on the horn to Langley and get those guys looking too," Garrett added. "Bob, get the guys to the armory and pack for a quick exit. My guess it will probably be close quarters fighting, so skip the heavy stuff except for V-man. I'm going to talk to Neal about a backup team." "Boss, you want me to set aside another stack for the backup? If we have to make a fast insertion, I don't want to be slowed down with prep work," Senior Chief Holiday asked. "Sounds like a good idea Bob. After that, everyone hang loose until Kristine tells us where to go. No one leaves the base and make sure you have your pagers, dismissed." Adam got up quickly and left the room. Kristine saw the way her husband acted and knew he was troubled at the lack of Intel on the targets. "These fucking werewolves are pissing off my husband. When I find those fuckers, they're gonna wish they never started this shit." ********** Nadia scanned the area, as her young driver pulled into the parking lot of her hotel. She realized that the CIA was probably looking for her too, but she had little fear they would succeed. Even if they did, there was nothing they could do to her in the way of any real harm. With no danger in sight, she exited the sedan and looked at the young tasty morsel that was assigned as her driver. His blond hair and deep blue eyes, made his youthful appearance that much more inviting to the succubus. With the others in the same hotel as the terrorists, he would not be missed if she decided to feed, instead of just using him as a sex toy. "I'm sorry young man, what was your name again?" The fallen angel had a flashing smile on her face that hid the dark sinister side beneath. "It's Peter Ma'am." "Oh don't be so formal Peter. When you call me Ma'am, it makes me sound like I'm your mother or something." "Sorry Nadia, just being polite. We really should get inside away from any prying eyes. It's not safe to stay out in the open too long." Nadia walked over and wrapped her delicate arm around Peter's more muscular one. She shivered slightly, not from the cold, but from the vibrant life force that flowed through body. She could sense how strong it was, which could only mean one thing. Was it truly possible that she was assigned a virgin? She gazed towards him as she tried to remember the last time she feasted on an innocent. "So Peter, you seem so young to be in company with mercenaries? How old are you dear boy?" "I just turned eighteen a few months ago." "Oh my you are young, but from what I can see, you're more than capable of handling yourself." "I know, that's what I've been trying to tell my older brother, Nadia. Fredrick said I could be part of the group, but he won't let me go on the mission. I keep trying to tell him I'm ready, but he treats me like some little kid who can't handle danger." "That sounds so mean. Maybe he's trying to keep you away from people that will kill you. It is the job of an older brother to make sure the younger one doesn't get near any dangerous people." When they reached the door, he quickly opened it and moved to the side. His chest was puffed out and he tried to stand a little taller than his six-foot frame would allow. Nadia couldn't help but laugh inside at the young man trying to impress her. "I may be young Nadia, but trust me; I can handle anything that comes my way. You don't need to worry about anything. Your safety is my primary concern." As the dark angel walked into the lobby, she slowly turned to her young companion and smiled seductively at him. She knew no man on earth could escape her once she started to charm them. "That made me feel all tingly inside, Peter. I guess it just does something to me when I know I'm protected by someone so strong, and so -- brave." Peter moved to her side and took her arm. He quickly scanned the lobby for trouble as he led his charge to her room. "That's me alright, strong and brave. Fredrick will see that I can handle anything." ********** Adam walked into the waiting area of Neal's office. As he closed the door, he could feel Rosa's eyes start to undress him. The sultry secretary smiled when they made eye contact, and she shifted in her chair a bit as she studied the extremely tone SEAL. "Good morning Mr. Dawson. It looks like you slept well last night; you have a sort of sparkle about you this morning." "Hi Rosa, actually I'm pretty beat. I got promoted last night and the team and I partied pretty hard. After that my wife, who came into town last night, tried to kill me with sex. Is Neal in?" "Just a minute Sir, I'll let him know you're here." Adam could tell from her flat tone that she was indeed upset at her lack of progress in scoring with him. After contacting her boss, Adam walked in a sat down in front of Neal and waited for him to acknowledge him. He had three separate sheets of paper on the large desk and studied each one back and forth. After a few minutes, Adam decided the frontal approach. "I was sort of hoping you'd help with the current job you have Neal, or are you really interested in managing a fast food joint?" "I should just let the wife decide. Hell, I haven't looked for a job since I was twenty three." "You could always take up fishing." Neal leaned back in his high backed leather chair. "Fuck you Dawson. Guys like us don't fish, we hunt." "Speaking of hunting Neal, I have Kristine and Garrett over at Intel trying to figure out the tango's next move. The rest are in the armory packing for a quick exit." "That's good heads up on your part Adam, now I know why I promoted you. I do want to discuss something with you about your team." "Yeah I know Kristine has this thing about it being her team. Really Neal it's..." "She's not the one I'm worried about. If those two are out there, she'll figure it out. My concern is Garrett Brown." Adam leaned forward and looked at his longtime friend. "I was a little nervous about him as well, but so far he's handled his own and kept up with the rest of us." "You just don't make enemies with the Director of the CIA unless you're incompetent Adam, or you're just plain stupid. I don't want him turning incompetent and freezing up when my SEAL team is under fire." The Pandora Effect Ch. 07 Adam thought back to the mission on the Naqada. Garrett Brown's thirty years of training kicked in and blended in well with his team. Then he thought of the moment he froze and failed to react as Mansur Alba changed into a form only seen in horror movies. He couldn't blame him really, his own team froze up when Kevin came out of the closet at the hospital. "You have my word as a SEAL Commander, he'll take anything this mission has to throw at him, and give twice as much back." "You just watch your six Lieutenant Commander." "Speaking of my six Neal, what's the possibility of getting some help on backup? I know the others have missions, but I might need some extra people to cover us while we take the virus back." Neal Hawkins reached into his right hand drawer and pulled a small stack of papers out. He tossed them on the end of the desk at Adam, then reached in again. This time he pulled two very illegal Cuban cigars out and tossed one to his friend. "I meant to smoke this with you last night, but since I only had two left I waited. We can enjoy the world's finest cigars while you choose your back up." "Um -- remember that little statement we swore to, you know uphold the constitution, protect others, and obey laws like not smoking illegal cigars?" "Light your damn cigar, pick out your backup, and get off my ass about contraband." "Aye, aye Commander," Adam replied in a strict military voice as he reached for the lighter on Neal's desk. ********** Rashida was seated next to a small table placed near the window. She wore no clothing just in case Bashir needed more stress relief in a moment's notice. She held six different aerial photos from the stack Nadia left with them. The beauty looked at one of them which showed a cluttered area of buildings that made up the body of the airport. Everything was so packed in; she had trouble picking out which terminal to look over. She looked up to see Bashir studying the environmental controls for the hundredth time. "Bashir, which terminal do we release the virus into?" "Terminal one is the best location. The environmental system isn't connected to terminal two, but passengers checking in catch flights there. Flights from either terminal cross Europe and a dozen other countries. Those pathetic humans will transfer the virus all over the world in a matter of days." "This will work as long as we can get past security at the airport and the ferry terminals." "That's where that lush body of yours will come in handy. You're going to take the first shift of driving. During the second half, I want you rested and looking your best. Make sure you wear something revealing so if we get stopped or questioned, they pay more attention to you and not where we're going." "So you want me to dress and act like a slut for -- humans." "It shouldn't be too hard. Now get over here," Bashir ordered as he moved his chair out to allow room for his mate. ********** Adam opened the door to the squad room. He still could help but laugh at the idea of hunting down more werewolves, but this time he was going to do it with the rebuilt team that Viljem Kordic took out. The deadly werewolf attack on an unsuspecting SEAL team in Predjama seemed like ages ago, but Bravo's demise still haunted him. As he entered, he saw one of his intended targets, Lieutenant Jack Patrick. He knew Patrick's fire team was on the short list of teams to have back at Virginia Beach. He put together a group of men that almost came close to his own beloved SEALs. If he needed a backup team, there was no better one in the area. "Holy shit, look who's turn it is in the shit hole." Jack turned and looked over his shoulder as a few of his team members joined him. When he saw his friend, he jumped off the couch and walked quickly towards him. "Christ, you mean to tell me some tango hasn't shot your ass yet? How's it going Adam," he exclaimed as he grabbed his hand firmly. "What gives buddy? You left the beach suddenly and no one's heard a peep about you?" "I sort of got caught up in helping some people track down some shit and get it back for them." "Let me guess, CIA." "How about you gather your guys together and I'll let you know what's up." "Sure thing Adam. Briefing room in say an hour?" "You got it. By the way, mind if I borrow your sniper there for a few minutes?" "Not at all, Wolfie front and center." ********** Gunners Mate Third Class Mark Wolfhorst silently moved into the SEALs armory where V-man was checking over the SR-25 silenced sniper rifle. As he checked the firing pin for any signs of damage, Wolfie moved behind him and grabbed V-man's waist. Mark ducked as the arm flew harmlessly over his head. "You're getting slow old man, sure hope your aim is better than your self-defense training," Wolfie said with a short laugh. "Mark, it's damn good to see you buddy. Your turn in the shit hole huh?" "Yeah, it's a bit weird though, the last time a Bravo fire team was in this area, they got torn up by some dogs or something. I don't intend to repeat the performance." Adam walked in with a smile as two of the best SEAL snipers alive were talking and joking with each other. That bond they shared would come in handy if this went down like as he was thinking. "Is everything ready to go V-man?" "So far, so good Boss. I was just going over my weapon to see if these clowns took care of her." "While you're at it Dan, have Wolfie check out the .50 cal. If we get into too much shit, I want something with some kick to care of it. Since we have some time before Kristine comes up with anything, I want you two at the range and zeroing those in for six hundred yards. Anything further than that and I believe you'll be shooting them in the back." "Front, back, side, in the nuts, makes no difference to me Adam. Dead is dead." "You have any idea where Bob and Kevin are V-man?" "Bob and the rest of the guys are getting a late lunch over at the E-club. I think he's looking for that chick from last night. If I was a betting man, I'd say that old SEAL is off the market." ********** Six muscular men strode into the Enlisted Club and surveyed the area as usual. All of them checked for signs of danger or something out of place, everyone except the new Senior Chief who was looking at the bar staff. Garrett motioned for the team to head to a table that was up against the wall with a good view of the bar area. It wasn't because they were nervous about being attacked, it was just a precaution the trained men always lived by. A petite dark skinned beauty sashayed over, she pointed her attractive hip to one side as she held the empty tray, and smiled graciously. Her dark enticing eyes lured the men to a sense of calm as she smiled a seductive smile. She had everyone's attention, save one. Bob Holiday continued to look around the bar. He felt a little silly looking for Karen at this time of day, since she worked last night. He silently hoped Kristine would take a day or so before figuring out where the tangos were. "I sure hope you gentlemen are here to eat, because I'm starting to get a little hungry too." Garrett looked at the young woman and tried hard not to laugh at her attempt to pick one of them up. By the looks of her, she was probably some Officers kid who just needed a job. "How about a round of beers and three orders of hot wing, gorgeous." As she turned to head for the bar, the SEALs couldn't help but overhear her response. "Oh it's hot, but it isn't wings sugar." Kevin leaned over to his team Chief. "She worked last night Bob, she won't be here yet." "Shut up Dvorska, I'm just checking out the situation. Men in our business can't be too careful; you never know when trouble is going to pop up." "Speaking of popping up Senior, was she worth the extra tip we all put in last night?" Carl asked. "Carl, it's still daylight outside, don't make me beat you where everyone can watch." The team shared a moment of laughter as they stared at the frowning SEAL. They all knew if it were anyone else, they would have chocked it up as a moment in time. The fact that it was a seasoned Navy SEAL, who rarely showed affection, was something the team just couldn't pass up. "You guys save me a beer, I gotta call Laura before I get into trouble. Trust me when I tell you, that's one girl you don't want pissed at you," Kevin said as he stood to head for the phones. As he moved around Doc, the server came up with a tray full of beers. "I'll take that one with me dear." Then leaned in close. "My friend Carl on the end really likes you. He couldn't take his eyes off you as you walked away." Kevin headed to the phones quickly as she placed the tray down and passed out the drinks. When she handed Carl his, she lightly brushed her fingertips against his hand. "You drink that slow big boy; you never know what the night has in store." Everyone stared at the table and tried their best not to break out laughing as Carl looked at her with a confused expression. When it dawned on him what just took place, he turned to watch his werewolf friend making a hasty exit. "Little bastard. If I didn't know you could rip me to shreds, I'd kick your ass all over this club." ********** The sandy blond haired angel continued to look down through the softy billowing cloud. He couldn't help but feel envious of his friend John Balch, as he watched the guardian angel drinking and laughing with the SEAL team. The last time he was on assignment was almost ninety years ago. He was more than ready to experience all the new things humanity had come up with. "Looks like John is enjoying himself. I hope he remembers why he's there in the first place." Gabriel stood over the kneeling angel and peered over his shoulder. He had a slight smile on his face as he knew of Peter's silent wish." "Oh hi Gabriel. He's really not enjoying himself Sir, you know how it is -- gotta blend in with the humans." "Yes he sure is blending in alright. I'll have to add that to the things we have to discuss when he gets back. Are they making any progress since young Kevin returned?" "A little Sir, they know the area to look in, but I can sense some frustration in Mrs. Dawson." "Don't worry my son. You just never know where good intelligence will come from." ********** Bob finished his beer and placed the empty on the table. His expression was that of calm and controlled fillings, although it couldn't be farther from the truth. Through the years, he had seen SEALs become attached, and he knew after that they had a fifty percent chance on loosing focus and doing something stupid. "Oh what the hell, guys like me are cut out for a life of..." "You morons got room for your team leader, or should I sit at the bar?" Adam said as he made a quick move towards the center bar area. "Hey Boss, pull up a chair and take a load off. I know how hard you must work now that you're a Lieutenant Commander," John said as he scooted over and ran his fingers through his hair. "Thanks John, and quit playing with your hair before we start calling you GQ again. I swear you're as bad as Wolfie when it comes to your appearance." "Sorry Adam, I just want to make sure I look good in case some server is going on break." The team laughed and Adam picked up one of the beers. He took a small drink of the cold liquid. He did not intend to allow his reflexes to become diminished while they waited for an objective. He watched as fellow SEALs took it slow with the alcohol, and he knew they all shared the same sentiment. He looked over at his friend and saw he was his normal grumpy self as he continued to watch other patrons move about inside the club. His eyes quickly darted towards the back of the room and Adam looked over to see Kevin dodging patrons as he made his way towards them from the phone area. "Hey Adam, glad to see your tracking skills are still there. I was beginning to think I was the only one with that talent in the team," Kevin said with a short chuckle. "Don't let all that doggie shit go to your head Dvorska. I was tracking down terrorist, when you were still trying to figure out which part of a ship was aft. How's your better half doing?" "Wolf's ready to kick a little ass Boss." "Not that half you moron, I was talking about Laura." "She's fine Adam. She's been under the weather for the last few days and can't wait for us to get finished. She said something about going..." Suddenly he stopped and turned his head quickly. As his senses went into overdrive, a slow smile formed on his masculine face. Adam saw the expression and turned around to see what Kevin was sensing. He didn't have to wait long to see Karen emerge from around the bar as she tied her apron around her flared hips. He joined his Senior Chief in the hopes Kristine would take a day or so before figure out where to go. His longtime friend and mentor deserved it. Adam Dawson knew it was a matter of time before Karen realized her new friend was in the club, so he acted normal and picked up his beer. His eyes never left Bob Holiday. Kevin watched her out of the corner of his eye and when she saw them, a bright smile formed quickly. Karen checked her hair, and smoothed the short skirt out. She began walking over towards them, but stopped abruptly and headed towards the bar. It looked like she was chiding herself a bit, and Kevin turned his head slightly to pick it up. "I can't believe I forgot my tray. Bloody hell Karen, get a hold of yourself! You're acting like a little school girl with her first crush." When she started towards them, Kevin shifted his focus on Bob and waited for his reaction when she arrived. He smiled inwardly as he remembered when he fell in love with Laura. The warmth she gave him was more than any man could ever hope for, and he prayed that Bob would find that warmth as well. "Don't you -- men -- ever work?" Bob was staring towards the other end of the club watching a couple of Army guys slam beer when he heard her alluring accent. Adam thought he might break his neck at the quickness of the movement. When their eyes met, a softness washed over his face like a soft stream flowing around moss covered stones. "Oh hell, he's got it bad," Adam thought. "We are at work. This is what we do, we sit and drink beer and try to figure out how to save the world." "Is there anything I can do to help save the world?" "How about another round Karen, while we discuss which country needs attention first." The mature woman looked at the table and saw at least five full beers sitting there waiting for an owner. She smiled at Bob and turned to retrieve the order. Kevin couldn't help but tune in her British accent. "I know an excellent place you can divert your attention to stud muffin." Carl Werner looked around the bar and saw the young dark haired beauty serving one of the other tables. When she looked over and saw him staring, she cocked her head slightly and licked her full red lips. Carl quickly turned and picked up his beer. "Speaking of saving the world Bob, you got any ideas on where to start looking?" Carl said as he took a long pull. "Well if they were up your ass Werner, I'd know right where to find them." Jake leaned over towards Kevin with a serious look on his face. "I don't want to sound negative here Kevin, but it's like finding a needle in a hay stack." "Yeah I know buddy, there must be a thousand ways out of here." "Hold on a minute you two. Are you losing faith in my wife already? Let's not forget she was the one who figured out the first part. I have half a mind to narc you both out to her." Bob joined the others in their concern. "I don't usually side with furry little animals..." "Who the hell you calling little old man?" Jake said with fake annoyance. "Jake's right Boss, I know Kristine is good but she can only cover about have the area we need to look at." "Security is tight all over the place, if they smile, we'll know about it," Adam said almost convincingly. When Karen arrived with the beers, she moved next to Bob and sat her tray down. Her hip touching his taut shoulder did not go unnoticed by the other men at the table. Given their previous conversation, they all had stern faces on as they silently mulled over the possibilities. "With the look on those faces, you'd think the world was coming to an end," she said as she pressed her hip more firmly against Bob. Adam wanted to change the subject away from any hint of who they really were. "With that accent, I take it you're not from around the area." "Actually I'm originally from West Drayton. It's a town west of London. My ex-husband used to work on base and I guess I sort of stayed on." "So you don't have any family here like kids and such," Bob hinted. "Nope, just me and my poodle. I have a sister that lives by London Heathrow that I get to see from time to time." Carl thought about the added security around the world these days and lifted his beer up. "Must be a real pain in the ass to go see her." "Oh not really love, I use the ferry out of Oostende Belgium. It drops me off at Ramsgate and then it's just a hop, skip, and jump to her flat by Heathrow. Security is so light there you could drive a whole truckload of illegal immigrants through there and no one would know about it. Karen began picking up the empty bottles as the SEALs all looked at each other. Adam stared down Bob as they both came to the realization of what was going to happen. Everyone stood up quickly, knocking their chairs over as they did. The other patrons of the club watched as seven well-built men sprinted towards the exit. The other server walked briskly up to Karen as she watched the door swing shut. "I was just starting to make some head way with one of them. What did you say to scare them off?" "I didn't say anything. I was telling them about my sister." "Hmmm. Maybe they know your sister." Briefing Room, SEAL Compound, Aviano Italy. Alpha fire team, along with Bravo, huddled around the large glossy table as the teams looked over photos of the area. With such short notice, there wasn't much time to put together a formal briefing. Adam was about to start handing out coverage assignments when Neal voice his concern over the Intel source. "I'm never one to question my team leaders, but we have no solid proof that this is even the route their going to take. The tangos could pop out at any of the fifteen different ferries along the coast. We don't even know if London Heathrow is the intended target." "This lady has no idea who we are, and she makes an off handed comment about how easy it is to get to her sister's house. She's a damn civilian who has no idea about security, but yet has enough brains to know when a port is lacking it. If she can figure it out, the two tangos can." "What about Heathrow? They could just take it somewhere else and board a ship." Kristine pulled an aerial photo of the airport over. "They'd be stupid not to try, and those two are far from stupid. They want to kill as many people as they can, and what better way than to spread that shit in an airport that departs all over the world." "Neal, I've studied this virus for some time now. If they put it in the environmental system, it would provide a low enough dose that people wouldn't start getting sick for a few days. It only survives for about 24 hours, but just think about how many people go through there in a day." "Okay, but I won't go along with two of my best teams out of the country. Pick a staging area close to Great Britain and wait for confirmation. Garrett, how many men can you get to Heathrow?" "Ones that know how to handle themselves? I can put six at the airport, and another six at Ramsgate." The Pandora Effect Ch. 07 "That's all the CIA can muster up?" "You want operators, or Intelligence Officers? No offense Kristine." "The more we talk about this, the closer they get. It's only a twenty hour drive from Gibraltar to Oostende, and we have no idea if they already left for the target," Kristine said sternly and waited for Neal's answer. Commander Hawkins looked down at the various photos and maps. All the available Intel was based on gut instinct. No hard data, no visual confirmation, just some waitress at a club on how she gets to her sister's house. If they were wrong, the tangos could slip past everyone and then the game would be over. It wouldn't be the SEALs that lost, it would be all of humanity. "Garrett, you've been chasing these maniacs for a while now," Neal said as he looked up and stared into the former Army Ranger's eyes. "Yes Sir, I have." "Then God damn it end this so I can retire in peace." "Yes Sir. It ends here." "Carry on Lieutenant Commander." Neal shook Adam's hand and walked quickly out of the briefing room. "Um -- did I miss something somewhere Adam?" Jack Patrick asked. "Later, okay here's how we're going to play this. I'm throwing this out off the top of my head so if anyone has a better idea, I need to know right now. Bob, I want you to take two guys from Bravo and get to Oostende as fast as you can. I suggest a helo from here, and Garrett, you need to have a car waiting for them." "I can have one there within the hour." "Bob take a radio and your packs. If they show, you're the trigger man, no one moves unless you give the go ahead. After that, shadow them in and keep a low profile. I don't want to spook them." "Yes Sir." "The rest of us will pre-stage at Rota Spain. Once we get confirmation from Bob, we insert at Ramsgate. We'll have four to five hours to prep the area, so Garrett we need your people to clear it with local police." "Done." "Any questions?" When no one answered, Adam took his hands off the table and looked at the assault team. "I want to make one thing perfectly clear here before we leave. No matter what happens, no matter what the tangos pull on us, none of us remains alive while they control possession of the virus. Do I make myself perfectly clear?" The twelve Navy Seals and two CIA operatives stood at attention and looked back at the mission leader. They all knew what was at stake and what they signed up for. "Yes Sir." 0710 hrs, ferry terminal, Oostende Belgium. The elder gentleman behind the wheel stared out into the soft morning light as his thoughts diverted to the shapely woman back in Aviano. He silently wondered if this was how it happened to most SEALs. Out on a mission where lives were at stake, thinking about what you left behind. A lone delivery van with a Hostess logo on the side slowly made its way to the staging area and turned off the ignition. Bob shook his head clear and brought the small scope up to his eye. A small Mexican driver rubbed his eyes and leaned his head back, trying hard not to fall asleep before the ferry arrived. Bob turned to look at the two members of Bravo as they slept lightly. He knew that SEALs often grabbed sleep when they could, because on a mission, you never knew when it would come next. Hospital Corpsman Second Class Bill Haley sat upright next to Bob in the front seat. If he didn't have his eyes closed, the seasoned veteran SEAL would have thought he was wide awake. Then he shifted his focus to the passenger in the back, who was almost stretched out the length of the interior. Aviation Ordnanceman Chief Petty Officer Randy Cross was a small man, at least by SEAL standards. He stood just over five feet and weighed 145 pounds, which was at the lower end of the criteria just to get into the program. Even though he was small and looked like someone just out of college, Bob knew he was an extremely dangerous individual. He remembered taking part in one of his hand to hand combat training classes. He also remembered never being thrown around so much in his life. Bob reached down and tapped Randy's leg. There was no movement, but the sound of the hammer being pulled back on the hidden Sig gave him his answer. Bob smiled a little and watched as the young Chief slowly opened his eyes. "That's an extremely easy way to get shot Bob." "Eat shit Tiny, we're supposed to keep a low profile. What did you want me to do, use an air horn?" Bill opened his eyes and checked the large watch on his thick wrist. His six foot four and two hundred and forty pound frame shifted slightly as he looked up and scanned the area. He saw very little movement in the staging area, then looked out towards the English Channel. "Ferry should be arriving shortly. I sure hope the tangos arrive soon; I really hate this part of missions. Hurry up and wait to kill someone sucks." Randy sat up and looked around also as he released the hammer of his Sig. "If it'll make you feel better Bill, you can get the sixty out of the trunk and tear the hell out of the Twinkie truck up in front of us." "You know something Tiny, if you weren't a Chief I'd come back there and sit on you." "Really? Then when you get the sixty, pull the radio out too." "The radio?" "Yeah, that way you can call for an ambulance -- if you still have use of your arms," Randy said with a little laugh. Bob noticed more vehicles entering the port area, and brought the scope up. A small semi pulled in but left the engine running as the driver exited the vehicle. The thin black man with leather sandals went to the front and lifted the hood up as he inspected the engine. "I tell you what guys, if they don't make this ferry I'll head over to that little stand over there and get us all some coffee, my treat." "So you got the pay that goes with those new anchors Bob?" "The Navy doesn't work that fast Doc. I'm dipping into my hazardous duty pay." "I guess that means we're all getting small coffees then," he said with a short chuckle. ********** Rashida was now behind the wheel, as Bashir pretended to be asleep. He knew the only way through security without killing everyone was with his mates stunning beauty. He would rather enter the port quietly, but just in case, he held the silenced pistol just out of view. He watched through half open eyes as the others in front of them easily entered the unsuspecting port. Rashida tapped the accelerator slightly and pulled up next to the overweight ugly guard. As their eyes met, she noticed him attempting to suck in his pregnant like abdomen in an attempt to look more pleasing. The female werewolf's stomach turned, as the aroma of his pungent odor crept in through the open window. When the guard leaned in, the smell of Vodka filled the car, and Rashida fought the urge to rip the human's throat out. "The new order will be complete soon, and we won't have to put up with putrid humans like this anymore." "Well hello there. Can I see your passports please?" His light brown eyes were fixated on the sinuous flesh of her partially visible chest. For a brief moment, Rashida though he might start drooling. "Here you are. It's comforting to know there are -- real -- men on duty this morning." Her bright smile captivated him as she turned her upper body towards the window and leaned over. His small cock hardened as her perfume filled his senses. "Yes well, when they want the best on duty, I normally get the call. Where are you headed today -- Mrs. -- Berkline?" "Oh it's just Miss, I don't have a husband, not even a boyfriend for that matter. My brother and I are heading to our parents' home. We're just dropping off some presents for their anniversary tomorrow." "It appears you travel back and forth from here often -- Miss -- Berkline." "My parents are getting old and I try to see them whenever I have some time off. Thankfully my brother came with me this time, it's very boring with no one to talk too or be with." "I can think of a few ways to keep you entertained," he thought, as he fought the urge to straighten his painfully bent manhood. "I find it hard to believe that where ever you go it would be boring, Miss Berkline." "Oh please, call me Rika. Miss Berkline makes me feel so old and unattractive." He could feel the pre-cum leaking down his hair-covered leg. "And how long will you be staying there, Rika?" "Just a few days, then I'll be returning alone. I was thinking of staying in town for a few days here and taking in the -- sights -- of the town. Although being alone, it won't be much fun." He handed the passports back, and pulled a small notepad out of his tightly stretched back pocket. He scribbled furiously and then ripped the small piece of paper out. He looked around as if to see if any other people were watching him, then slowly handed Rashida the paper. "Um -- if you need someone to show you around, you can reach me at this number. I would love show you a good time during your stay, Rika." Rashida allowed her delicate fingers to softly caress his fat chubby ones as she grasped the small paper. Her dark enticing eyes never left his, as she seductively slid the note into her plunging neckline. As she did, she allowed her fingers to stroke the now exposed nipple of her pert breast. She allowed him to gaze at one of her hidden charms for a few moments then slowly pulled the seam over the hard bud and out of view. She watched as his mouth opened slightly in an erotic gasp. "That sounds like a lovely idea." She turned her gaze towards the straining tent of his pants. "Although I was hoping you'd show me more than just a -- good -- time." "I think I can accommodate someone as beautiful as you." "I'll see you in a few days handsome." The words flowed like syrup from her ruby red lips as she slowly depressed the accelerator. Bashir remained motionless as they drove further into the port. When they were out of sight, he sat upright and smiled at his talented mate. "That was very impressive. If you keep that up for the rest of the mission, security won't be an issue." "As soon as we stop, I'm going to vomit." ********** Randy Cross was just about to step out of the car and stretch his legs, when he noticed a black BMW slowly pull up behind the semi-truck. Bob didn't need the scope as he watched four men with black pants and overcoats get out and scan the area. Even as they stretched, they continued to check over the area. Then the driver looked in the direction of the gate. Carefully, Bob handed the scope to his fellow Chief and watched as another black BMW pulled in behind the first. From the distance the SEALs were at, Bob couldn't make out the faces but it was clearly a male and female. Randy laid the scope on the medics shoulder and peered through it. After taking a good look at the last two arrivals, he reached down to his small backpack and pulled out two pictures. He took one more look through the scope, then placed everything safely away. "When we get back to Aviano Bob, remind me to give that waitress a really big kiss. Gentlemen I'd like you to meet Mr. and Mrs. Terrorist." "I guess taking out their buddy on the Naqada has them nervous. If those aren't hired guns in front of them, then I belong in the Coast Guard. Randy, get the Sat-Com out and let Adam know he has a green light. We'll be headed his way in about forty five minutes." The diminutive SEAL lowered his body and pulled open the upper half of the back seat. After flicking the power switch, he brought the handset up and pressed the small round button on the side. "Oak leaf, this is Tiny Tim. It's starting to snow, I repeat, it's starting to snow." For just a few brief moments, the line was filled with nothing but static. The two SEALs sat lazily up front as they kept a keen eye on the targets. Suddenly, Chief Randy Cross heard the familiar voice of Adam Dawson. "Copy, it's starting to snow. Christmas party is in five hours, say number of quests." "Two on the list along with four uninvited party crashers, hope Mom made more cookies." "Copy the party crashers. We'll have enough food for everyone, Oak leaf out." ********** Two Navy Sea Hawk helicopters were positioned just inside the hanger bay doors, as the Crew Chiefs looked them over. The pilots sat idly by as they chatted amongst themselves. One of them saw the senior SEAL grab the handset of a radio and snapped his fingers towards his team. As he tapped his copilot on the air, he continued to watch for any signal that the insertion was a go. Adam reached down a turned one of the dials on top of the small rectangular box. Then with a large smile, pressed the button. "Eagle base, this is Oak leaf." Kristine's alluring voice came over the airwaves. "Go ahead Oak leaf." "The guests will be arriving at the Christmas party in approximately five hours. We have some uninvited guests joining them, but are ready to welcome all visitors." "Eagle base copies all. Sounds like it's going to be a hell of a party Oak leaf, sorry I'll miss it." "I highly doubt that. Oak leaf out." Adam placed the handset back in the canvas pouch and turned to look at the staring faces of ten highly trained men. They all swore an oath to protect and defend the constitution of the United States of America. Against all enemies, foreign and domestic. Now he was going to have to order these men not only to protect their own country, but all of humanity as well. He looked at Jake and Kevin as they slowly stood up. Their faces showed the same lack of emotion as the others, but he knew they too were wondering how to keep the secret of the wolf from the rest of Bravo squad. "Gentlemen, we have six targets heading towards Ramsgate. Don't let the fact that we have them out numbered and out gunned allow you to relax on this one. I have a feeling we're in for one hell of a fight." Garrett stood up next to his own point man, Jake Newton. "With all due respect Adam, someone's about to have a very bad day, and I don't think it's us." "I hope you're right Garrett. When we insert into Ramsgate, I'll make the shooting assignments. There's one more thing I want to say before we head out. I know it sounds a little unorthodox, but whatever you see or hear on this mission, it stays on this mission." "Aye, aye Sir," the team answered in unison. "Very well, let's go save the world." * Well it seems it will come to a head soon. Adams on his way to Ramsgate, terrorists are being shadowed across the English channel, and Garrett was telling the truth -- someone WILL have a bad day. Stay tuned for the final chapter and another surprise quest. Don't forget to vote and let me know what you thought. The Pandora Effect Ch. 08 Thank you to the women that helped guide my progression from fledgling author to; he's got potential: Dawn, Nulli, Mistress of the shadows, Jaz Cullen, and MizT, thank you for the lessons. Who would have thought a few years ago I'd end up like this. To the fans that have followed my stories, thank you, your support is overwhelming, and I'm truly humbled by it. With all my hopes, enjoy the conclusion of 'The Pandora Effect'. Victorian Seaways, an hour and thirty minutes out from Ramsgate, United Kingdom. The first class lounge was spacious, with various pieces of nautical artwork adorning the mahogany covered walls. The ambience of the soft lights was overpowered as the bright sunshine streamed in from the pair of large glass windows on either side of the bar. Two dapper servers tended to the small group of passengers that surrounded the waist-high bar. When the commuters had their drinks, the taller of the two bartenders grabbed a silver serving tray, and headed out to wait on the seated guests. His first stop was a corner table, placed next to one of the large glass panes where an older couple rested, holding hands, and staring out the thick glass window towards the calm English Channel. The server took the couples' order as the once ebony haired woman laid her head against her husband's thin shoulder. Her silver highlights made her look even more majestic as the two shared a special moment between them. The server smiled to himself at the romantic intimacy the husband and wife shared, oblivious to presence of the other passengers around them. As the well-groomed server weaved through the tables with practiced ease, he stopped to pick up a discarded napkin off the royal blue carpet. Something caught his eye and he glanced over at the passengers' shoes that occupied one of the tables located along the port wall. They all wore some type of military style boots, and he chuckled to himself at the lack of fashion exhibited by the gruff trio. "Would you gentlemen care for anything from the bar? We have a fine selection of..." the courteous server tried to ask. A muscular looking man with his back to the wall indicated for him to leave with a quick gesture of his hand. The other two brawny men remained silent, as they stared out at the other passengers with cold forbidding eyes. When no indication was given that his presence was needed, the server shrugged his shoulders and walked off with unhurried steps. "It figures -- no fashion sense, OR manners," he thought as he carried out his duties. His last stop was at the very end of the lounge, near one of the thick oak doors. A young looking man dressed in jeans and a hooded sweatshirt sat back against the plush red cushions while he read a fishing magazine. From his vantage point above the small table, the server could see the inside of the ceramic mug placed on the table. A small trace of coffee was all that remained, which made him wonder why someone so young would be drinking coffee. The college students that frequented the ferry preferred to drink water, or on occasion, one of the upper shelf liquors. The server cleared his throat to get the young man's attention. "Excuse me Sir, would you like anything from the bar? We have a fine selection of wine, or perhaps something stronger?" Randy Cross looked up from his magazine, as he smiled at the thought of having a mixed drink. He placed the magazine down next to him and grabbed the almost empty mug. As he held it up, his smile became bigger. His small dimples made the Navy SEAL Chief seem even more youthful. "Just some coffee, black with two sugars if you would Sir," Randy requested with an air of politeness. The SEAL watched the server place the mug on the tray, and with an acknowledging gesture of his head, return towards the bar to fill his orders. Randy stole a few moments to look over at one of the tables against the wall. It was the same table he had been monitoring since entering the upper most lounge area where three sturdy looking men, dressed in all black, rested during the crossing. Shifting in his seat, he pretended to get comfortable as he glanced towards the other side of the lounge where another husband and wife sat waiting for the crossing to end. The small SEAL did not have to worry about monitoring that particular couple; someone else in the room was shadowing them. Randy stretched his legs out and sighed with genuine boredom as he retrieved the dreary magazine. After flipping the page, he checked his watch then went back to reading. "Thank God, only about an hour left of reading about fucking lures, and bass," he thought as he looked over the top of his Field and Stream towards his charges. ********** Frederick Konr scanned the room, his attention snared by the nervous glances toward the exit from one of his colleagues. He wasn't sure if the other man was sensing danger, or if the pressure of their current assignment was just getting to him. After four years of doing various missions with the anxious mercenary, he'd learned to recognize when he was becoming nervous; he'd also learned to place faith in the other man's sixth sense. "Karl, is there something bothering you? It can't be the security; so far, it's been nonexistent." "I can't quite place my finger on it Fredrick, but that kid in the corner over there keeps monitoring us." Karl shifted in his seat with a nervous edge as his blue eyes tightened at the young man's intrusive behavior. He had been studying human body language long enough to know when he was being watched. He found it peculiar that he would take note of their table and disregard the rest of the passengers. "See for yourself Fredrick, every so often, he'll peek over the top of that magazine. I think he's shadowing us and it's putting me on edge. He's been doing it since he arrived, which leads me to believe he might be someone we might have to dispose of before leaving," Karl said to the team leader with a hint of unease in his voice. Fredrick shifted his vision with a practiced calm and took a slow glance towards the end of the lounge. There in the corner, he saw a bored young man who was small in stature wearing a floppy hooded sweatshirt and jeans turn the page of a magazine and glance over at them for a few seconds before continuing to read. Fredrick chuckled in amusement at the so-called operative. "What, you think that college kid is some kind of military spy or something? He doesn't look old enough to buy a beer, let alone have a strong enough build to be part of any Special Forces unit. If I was going to peg anyone as military here, it would be the older guy over on the other side of the lounge. Look at his short hair, muscular frame, tanned face; that guy knows how to handle himself. Why don't you take over for Hans down at the cars, I'm sure he could use a break." Karl stood up and ran his fingers through his shoulder length blond hair, then moved towards the same exit door the young man sat near. As he progressed, he scanned the other passengers and then stood next to the person who was making him nervous. He rotated his head until his eyes stopped on his intended target. Randy knew he had the ability to kill the hired gun with ease if it came to it. His instinct however was tempered by his team leader's orders: let them all have safe passage. He needed to think of a ruse to throw the dangerous man off his tail, and he needed to do it before the situation became unstable. As the young Navy SEAL locked eyes with the tense mercenary, he gave the blond man a suggestive wink of his eye, then ran his pink, wet tongue across his upper lip with a hint of seduction. Giving a quick nod of his head toward the door, Randy indicated to him his intentions to follow him out into the passageway. Karl watched the young man's display of affection with the sudden realization that his monitoring of them was nothing more than sexual curiosity. His callous stare remained, but now it was due to the disgust of such a proposition towards him. He felt the bile begin to rise as the young man stared back with a wanton smile. "You fucking sick little degenerate bastard. I don't fuck other men." Randy leaned towards the merc, as his youthful smile changed into pout. "Now that is a pity, you hunk of a man. From the way you kept staring at me with those dreamy blue eyes of yours, I thought you might have been trying to get some -- alone -- time with me," he whispered. The mercenary didn't say another word as he stormed out through the doors; leaving the SEAL far away behind. Toward the front of the lounge, Fredrick monitored the small exchange between the two men. He tried hard not to laugh aloud as he witnessed the homosexual advances toward his teammate. He made a mental note to mention it in future conversations after the mission was over. He was never one to let a good jab go to waste. There was one other person in the luxurious lounge who also witnessed the tense moment by the exit door, Bob Holiday. The veteran SEAL picked up his own coffee mug and took a small sip of the hot bitter liquid. He returned the drink to the table and placed it just in front of him. Bob checked his thick dive watch, then leaned his head back, pretending to sleep as he thought of his fellow SEAL. "You need to get some professional help soon, Randy." Ferry terminal, Ramsgate, United Kingdom. Adam Dawson, and Jake Patrick, stood next to Garret Brown in the center of the driving lanes. The evacuated terminal area seemed like a ghost town, and an eerie silence hung heavy in the air. The main architect of the upcoming ambush studied the final touches with a trained tactical eye. Adam played the possible scenarios out in his mind again as he scanned the narrow space the SEALs had engineered for the arrival of their guests. For the past two hours, the men positioned cars and equipment in the open area, creating an effective bottleneck that led to either a row of concrete lane dividers and the exit gate, or a large warehouse with a single loading dock. Regardless of which path the enemy took, the BMW's would run head on into an inescapable and blistering SEAL ambush. With just a mere seventy-five yards of area to maneuver in, it would take some skillful actions to escape the trap. Jack Patrick looked outside the perimeter fence line to the nearby houses and apartment buildings, with lingering doubts about civilian casualties if something should happen with the virus. He knew from experience, terrorists often failed to demonstrate the politically correct actions when it came to executing carnage. "Garrett, are we sure about that housing complex over there?" Director Garrett Brown slapped the SEAL Lieutenant on the back and smiled. "My guys and the local cops evacuated everyone within a two mile radius. The only people around are the good guys Jack." Adam looked out towards the channel with an anxious expression. "I'm almost positive that won't be the case soon. V-man, do you have anything?" Dan Vasquez lay prone in his selected position high atop the large water tower with a maintenance catwalk around the entire gleaming, white dome. From his vantage point behind the access ladder's safety cage, he had a clear line of fire almost straight down the exit lane. At the distance Adam expected him to engage his target, it would be sheer seconds before the back of the driver's head opened up to the outside air. When he heard the call come in from his team leader, he adjusted the dial on the high-powered binoculars and waited for the Victorian Seaways to come into focus. With the modern look of the ferry, he recognized his three friends on board were more comfortable than he was for the moment. "I've got them Boss. Man that sucker sure can move, and judging from her speed, we'll be knee deep in terrorists in just under an hour, maybe less," V-man muttered with a hint of pleasure. "Copy that V-man. Wolfie, any problems from your view?" Adam asked as he looked towards a tall reddish tower. Located discreetly behind a large sign on the viewing rail of the Port Master's station, Mark Wolfhorst scrutinized the housing area through his high-powered scope. With practiced ease, he moved the muzzle of his M-82A1 .50 caliber sniper rifle past the front gate and across the ferry terminal. He had a perfect view of Jake Newton as he leaned back against the cinder block wall of a small building. He lifted his eye off the scope and took a rapid look around. "That's a negative Sir. The local police are keeping their distance, and Mr. Brown's associates are positioned at the front gate. Looks like the area will be quiet until we're done." "Sounds good. Let's just hope we can do this with minimal force and destruction," Adam radioed back. Lieutenant Patrick placed his hand on Adam's shoulder and leaned into him. "Hell Adam, I'd be happy if they just drove up and surrendered, but what kind of fun would that be right?" "I don't think our dear friend Bashir Haddad will want to give up quietly," Adam replied with a small hint of apprehension. "Oh well, it's his funeral buddy." Jack tapped his friend's shoulder a few times, then went to join the other two members of Bravo in the staging area. Adam and Garrett continued to stand out in the open area looking into a bright sky and calm channel, in trepidation of the calm before the storm. Adam questioned himself again about the location of the ambush. Given the information on the party crashers, it made sense they were hired mercenaries with orders to escort the terrorists into Heathrow. The idea of taking out four hired guns didn't worry the Navy SEAL, what did bother him was that mercenaries were as unpredictable as the weather. Adam checked his watch one more time, and then headed towards his own position behind one of the parked cars as Garrett went to the front gate one last time before joining Jake. "Everyone check your hide, and make sure you have your masks handy," Adam said. "If this goes south, I don't want to have to shoot a bunch of zombies." ********** Hospital Corpsman Bill Haley leaned against the rail and watched as the channel water churned with the tremendous force of the large propellers beneath them. His mind drifted back to a time of deploying on great Navy vessels, ships that became small cities on a vast blue ocean. The amount of sheer power a few steel blades could produce, never failed to impress him. He stretched his large powerful arms over his head, and turned around to peer down the vehicle bay. The replacement guard for the two BMWs remained where he was, leaning against the wall near the black sedans. Bill thought at first that the blond haired merc might have a touch of hysteria. Every time he would walk to the bow to stretch his legs, the SEAL medic overheard the blond haired man talking to himself. When Bill noticed the mercenary walking towards him, he tensed in anticipation of possible hostility. "Now what the fuck is his problem? I wish I could just kill this guy and put him out of his misery." Bill checked his watch and then sighed as he slumped against the rail in a nonthreatening posture. He thought if he seemed bored, the merc would just leave him alone. He shifted his eyes towards the side of the ferry as the guard approached him and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. "Hey, you got a light?" His tone indicated he was irritated about something, and Bill braced himself to react with deadly force. The SEAL reached into his pocket and pulled out a plain silver Zippo and stroked the serrated wheel against the flint. As the flame danced around in the light breeze, the aggravated guard placed the end of the cigarette in his mouth and inhaled deeply. As he blew the smoke out, he looked at the burly medic. "Thanks." The hired gun walked away and once again started mumbling to himself. "Little son of bitch. Do I look like I date men? Why would that little prick think I would want to do something like that? Women find me..." Bill shook his head. "If this is the talent of the mercenaries we gotta take down, this is gonna be a cake walk." He was jolted out of his thoughts of an easy take down as the public address system came on line with a striking female voice. "May I have your attention please? The Victorian Seaways will be making her final approach to Ramsgate soon. The Captain has requested that passengers please return to their vehicles, and would like to remind everyone to leave your engine off until the debarking ramp is in place. Thank you for sailing with Victorian Seaways, and we hope you have a pleasant day in the United Kingdom." ********** Bob watched his fellow SEAL get up and move in behind an elderly couple as they made their way out into the passageway. He stood and stretched as he rolled his head in small circles, then made his way towards the bar. When he came upon Bashir Haddad, he stepped aside with a courteous smile and allowed him to pass with his wife. When he reached the bar, the proficient SEAL ordered a bottle of water and turned to watch the two terrorists who were in control of the world's deadliest virus exit the lounge. As they walked out the door, they were flanked by three muscular men dressed in black who Bob knew would never see another sunrise. Senior Chief Holiday picked up his water and tossed a few bills on the bar. With a relaxed stride, he made his way towards the exit of the lounge. Pulling the thick oak door open, he stepped out into the hallway with just a single thought on his mind. "And so it begins." ********** Bill monitored the unsuspecting civilians as they made their way to their cars. When he saw his team Chief, Randy Cross, enter the bay, he began an unhurried stroll not far behind him towards their sedan. Just as he passed one of the steel doors leading topside, Bob exited and followed him onward. When the two reached the vehicle, Bob moved into the driver's seat as Bravo's beefy medic slid in beside him. "When we reach the ramp, I'm gonna jam the car sideways and block the exit. I can't do anything about the civilians in front of us, so let's hope the team allows them to pass before opening up on the bad guys," Bob said to his small team. Bill saw the thin ebony semi driver get out and check his vehicle over. Since leaving the port of Oostende, Belgium, the driver never exited his vehicle. The medic figured he was like every other truck driver, sleep when you can. He narrowed his eyes, as a cold chill engulfed his rugged frame. "You guys notice anything different about our truck driver Abdul up there?" "I'm not sure I follow you Bill, what do you mean?" Bob said in a hushed tone. "I could be just losing my mind, but wasn't he wearing sandals back in Belgium?" Bob glanced at the driver's shoes. "Well fuck me with a flagpole. Those aren't steel toed work boots; they're the same top of the line combat boots the guys in the lounge had on." Holiday watched as the driver made eye contact with one of the mercenaries standing by the driver's door and gave him an affirmation of his head. He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel as he contemplated the unsuspected twist in the upcoming assault. "Gentlemen, you know you're getting too old for this shit when assholes like this get on your last nerve. Randy, don't make a big show of it because we still have civilians walking around, but you better let Alpha know about the truck. After that, I guess you better pull out the hardware, this is gonna go thermal in a hurry." ********** Adam heard the squeal of the Sat-Com radio and reached over between himself and Carl Werner. He held the handset to his ear and listened for a brief moment, then lowered his head in frustration as the news of the truck came over the airwaves. "Oak leaf copies all. You three watch your six -- out." The Pandora Effect Ch. 08 He tossed the handset down roughly and pushed his throat mike. Adam turned his face so Carl wouldn't see the snarl as the irritation rose within him. "Listen up everyone, change of plans. It seems the fucking tangos' brought more help than expected. Wolfie, I was trying to keep this whole thing down to a low roar, but we're going to have a truck full of unwanted quests real soon." "The wolf man copies. I have a round in the chamber; you just tell me where to put the little sweetheart." "Let the friendlies make their way out and then you'll see a semi with a red cab. Let him get to the beginning of the concrete dividers; then I want that engine block as useless as a nun on a prom date." "You got it Mr. Dawson," Wolfie replied with a chuckle. "Everyone else, if they so much as crack that God damn back door, I want all guns on the trailer and the first BMW." Adam's tone left little to the imagination at the amount of damage he wanted thrown at the mercenaries. ********** Bob Holiday continued to tap his fingers on the steering wheel as the bow opened at a labored pace. He squinted as the bright rays of sunlight entered the bay. He had his MP5 laid across his lap as he monitored the two black sedans and the truck ahead of them. "If that damn Hostess truck would get the hell out of the way, the snipers would have a clear shot before we even get off this tub," Bob thought "We're at the tail end of a shitty situation here Senior Chief, how do you wanna play this?" Bill asked as he checked his own MP5. "Your guess is as good as mine Bill. I'm sure Adam is counting on us to take up the rear so after we block the other friendlies behind us, I'd say shoot anyone holding a weapon that isn't a United States Navy SEAL." Randy crouched low in the back seat as he checked his ammo bag and then looked up front. "After all the years of training, all the dangerous missions, all the shit holes you had to go to and fight in, that's the advice you have?" "Look on the bright side. If we all die here on this mission; you won't have to act gay anymore." "Oh you're a fucking riot Bob," he replied, as he pulled the slide back and chambered a round. "Um -- did I miss a really cool moment upstairs?" Bill asked as he turned to look at his own team Chief. ********** Kevin looked on as the bow doors separated. He pulled the slide back; then with a flick of his thumb, released the safety. He looked over at his teammate for the ambush, John Balch, as he observed the angel clicking his own safety off and muttering a small prayer. "Think the old man is gonna help us on this one?" From the cloudless sky, rolling booms of thunder could be heard all around them. "You should know Kevin, he doesn't like to be called that, and I think we want him on our side at the moment." "Funny you should say that, Gabriel said the same thing." ********** Garrett looked around the corner of the small building that concealed his location. He could see the bow doors were almost open now and it was just a matter of time before the first target was in range when he heard the thunder. "You got to be kidding me, now we gotta take these fucks in the rain," Garrett said as he waited for the first vehicle to exit. "I can't figure out why, there isn't a cloud in the sky," Jake answered back as he checked his weapon over. ********** Bashir flipped the map open and checked the route to London Heathrow airport one last time. He knew security would be weak at the port, although it was best to be on guard when they reached the target. "Try not to get any more phone numbers on our way out of the gate Rashida, and don't lose our stupid friends up there. I want to get the virus to the airport and wait for the start of our new world." Rashida reached her hand over and placed it on Bashir's more masculine one. "Just think my love, in a few weeks, the whole world will be ours to do with as we please." "Hmmm. Make sure you watch the roads, it sounds like it's going to rain," Bashir said as he folded the map and placed it in the glove box, covering the 9mm handgun. ********** Mark Wolfhorst kept the center of the cross hairs on the chest of the lone crewmember as he waved the cars off. As the first one pushed the accelerator, it emerged into the bright light and made its way off the steel ramp, they followed one by one down the white painted lines on the black asphalt. Mark adjusted his aim and waited for his target. The lead car, a tan Nissan, maneuvered towards the concrete barriers that separated the driving lanes. The young, vibrant female driver had no idea that her little car just exited the scope of a very dangerous Navy SEAL sniper. "Wow, cute blond," he whispered. "Wolfie, your target is about to exit after a Hostess truck," Adam radioed, then ducked back behind the car he used as cover. "Copy Adam." The two SEAL snipers monitored the semi as it left the ramp, followed by two black BMW's. Adam remained out of sight, as he waited for the report of the sniper rifle. Directly across the open area, past the other side of the lanes, Garrett Brown leaned his head out. When he saw Bashir scanning the area, he ducked his head back behind the safety of the building. ********** Wolfie moved his sensitive finger off the guard and pressed it with care against the trigger. "Hi there, you little fucker. I was wondering; did you happen to check your oil before leaving the ferry? It seems you have a leak, right -- about -- there." The crack of the .50 caliber projectile breaking the sound barrier could be heard all around, as the engine block of the semi-truck sputtered and began making grinding noises. The startled driver tried to maintain control as he veered left then right. The nose of truck came to a sudden halt, as it slammed hard into the concrete barrier. The rig jack-knifed in an awkward position, but in doing so, it blocked the entire exit lane. Every SEAL realized the moment had arrived -- the ambush was now on. ********** Fredrick heard the boom of a large caliber rifle, then stared at the truck as it went out of control. He turned the wheel of his sedan hard to the left, trying to avoid the wreckage ahead of him. Just as he was about to turn the wheel again, he saw two men in green flight suits emerge from behind one of the parked cars. He was blinded as the windshield exploded into small pieces, and out of reflex, stepped on the gas pedal. "Carl move!" Adam screamed, shoving his friend hard as the speeding car hurled towards them. The large black SEAL dove through the air as the right fender of their hideout traveled under him. Adam Dawson wasn't as lucky as the passenger door connected with his body and pitched him backwards. The years of training took over and he allowed his body to relax as he hit the ground hard and rolled to absorb the harsh impact. Carl was dazed as his head hit the pavement. Through blurred vision, he saw the rear doors open and a blond haired gunman emerge and raise a small automatic machine pistol at the SEAL's chest. Carl raised his own MP5, but he knew it wouldn't be in time; the gunman had him dead to rights. Before his astonished eyes, the mercenary's face exploded in a mass of blood and brain as V-man's sniper round exited his skull. ********** Rashida saw the lead car turn left and she yanked the wheel hard right and stepped on the accelerator. As she flew across the open area trying to escape the ambush, she saw two men dart from around the corner of a small building. Bashir recoiled as bullet holes appeared on the hood and then tore through the side window just behind him. He could also hear the rear passenger's door taking rounds as he reached over for the wheel. ********** "Bravo, go!" Jack Patrick swung his MP5 up and pulled the trigger. He realized his aim was off as the burst went through the rear door and window. The two other members from Bravo fire team joined him as they placed their rounds near his. Garret watch in horror as the rear of the car began to sustain damage. "Don't hit the God damn virus Bravo! The terrorists, yes; but not the fucking virus!" ********** Bob Holiday steered the nose of his car towards the steel bulkhead that framed the exit for the ferry. With the exit of the ferry impassable, the three SEALs jumped out and raised their weapons. The Senior Chief gasped in disbelief as he watched his team leader fly through the air. "Man down!" he screamed, then remembered he didn't have his throat mike on. It took the seasoned SEAL just seconds to figure out the situation was declining at an accelerated rate, and began firing on the second BMW as it swerved towards Garrett and Jake. ********** Covering the end of the bottleneck, Kevin saw the semi driver exit the cab with an AK-47 pointed towards their location. With a three round burst to his chest, Kevin allowed the driver to sleep -- for the rest of his life. All of a sudden, he heard the report over his radio of what they all feared would happen. Kevin and John scrambled to the rear corner of the Hostess truck as he watched the Mexican driver run away in panic. "John, get ready. If they come around this way, you're gonna have to put them down." "Trust me Kevin, I wasn't always an angel." ********** "Shit, more bad guys coming out of the trailer! Out the back and side!" Jake screamed into his radio Adam held onto Carl's shoulder as he checked the condition of his hip, then looked over towards the trailer. "All teams concentrate fire on that truck!" ********** "There, head in there!" Bashir yelled, pointing towards a single loading dock in the largest of the terminal buildings about fifty yards in front of them. The speed of the BMW, combined with the rounds that continued to riddle the upper half of the car, caused Rashida to enter the loading dock too fast. With both feet, she stood on the brakes as it locked the tires and skidded to a crashing halt against the rear cement wall. Bashir reached into the glove compartment and pulled out the 9mm Glock in one smooth motion. He rushed towards the overhead door controls and fired in the direction of Garrett and Jake. He saw the two S.A.D. men drop to the ground and return fire towards him. When Bashir reached the end, he hit the button and the steel door began to make its way down. Just before the door concealed them in the building, Bashir took aim and sent his final round of the clip towards Garrett's head. He saw the older man roll to the side, then continue firing his MP5. ********** "Aim high!" Garrett screamed. "I know I heard you the first time. Remember, I'm a werewolf!" Jake yelled back as he fired another three round burst. "Shit, they went into that building. Let's go!" Garrett sprinted towards the building with his point man hot on his tail. Garrett and Jake saw the overhead door start to close. When they heard the incoming rounds flying by them, they dropped to the ground and continued firing at the partially concealed body of Bashir Haddad. When he stuck his body out further, Jake thought he might have a chance at causing serious damage to the human form of the sadistic werewolf. He held his shot though when his peripheral vision caught sight of Garrett rolling to the side in pain. "Fuck, you're gonna pay for that shithead!" Garrett screamed as the asphalt erupted in front of him and peppered his face. ********** Jack Patrick stood tall as he fired numerous short bursts at the men exiting the truck, while his point man, Carlos Hernandez, kneeled down just to the right of him. He joined Bravo's Officer as they tried to put as much firepower on the end of the trailer as possible. The two SEALs put as many mercenaries down as they could, but the enemy continued to flow out of the trailer like ants out of a disturbed mound. Carlos winced in pain as some of the hot shell casings from his team leader's MP5 found their way down the back of his flight suit. As he pushed the small button on the side of the weapon, the empty magazine hit the ground just as he was about to slam a fresh on home. "Who's bright fucking idea was this again?" Carlos screamed out as the cinder blocks of the building erupted in a spray of small chips. Both of them ducked behind the building, as the corner they now hid behind continued to crumble from the incoming rounds. Jack flinched in a protective move as the chips flew by him and he pressed his throat mike and looked around for another vantage point. "I sure am glad we have them out numbered and out gunned Adam." ********** Adam looked around as the mercenaries took up firing positions behind the cement lane divider. They had perfect firing position with the built-in lifting slots in the center of the blocks. He ducked behind Fredrick's now useless BMW, as multiple rounds streaked by his body. When he hit the ground, he winced in pain and grabbed his hip just as Carl slid next to him. "Is it broken Adam?" "That dead fuck wad behind the wheel didn't get that lucky, but I can't move too fast," he replied as he raised his weapon over the trunk and fired two short bursts. Carl rose and fired a short three round burst, killing one merc and wounding another. In swift fashion, he saw four men take their comrades place, continuing to turn the car into something similar to Swiss cheese. Carl dropped back down and ejected his magazine, then slammed the full one home. "Sounds like even more bad guys are pouring it on hard at Lieutenant Patrick." "We gotta get over there, or at least draw some of that fire," Adam replied quickly. Adam looked towards the ferry as his team Chief and two men from Bravo fired short bursts towards the trailer. Adam raised his weapon and fired three rounds in front of the small group. They all rotated to engage the new target, and observed Adam waving his arm. With his team leaders hand signals, Bob knew what his Adam wanted. "Bill, get to the back seat and put that .60 out over the roof. We're gonna need it in a few minutes," Bob growled. "I'm on it," Bill yelled as he fired another burst towards the trailer. "Get ready to move Tiny; we're going after Adam." Bob emptied his magazine and popped the clip out. "Now" The two SEAL Chiefs ran back to the car as Bob hurried behind the wheel. "You two get out the windows and keep their fucking heads down." Bob stepped on the gas and aimed straight for his teammates. He could feel the concussion of the .60 caliber machine gun sounding off above him, as he cranked the steering wheel and slid sideways just in front of Adam's position. He looked back and saw Carl holding up Adam as they made their way to the side. "Bob, get us over on the other side to reinforce Bravo," Adam ordered. As Adam slid around Bill Haley, he moaned in pain. "Are you hurt Commander?" "Just a paper cut, keep pouring it at them SEAL." "Alright everyone, full auto on three. One -- three," Bob screamed, then pushed his foot to the floor. "All teams covering fire now!" Adam shouted out over the radio. ********** Kevin looked to his left towards the large building the second BMW drove into. He fired another three round burst into the corner of the trailer, letting the mercenaries know not to even think about coming around that side. "John, we're going to head towards that door over there and get behind that barricade. Keep firing as we move, and try not to get killed -- again," he said with a short laugh. "Tell me again moron why I brought you back?" he said as he fired three short bursts just underneath the trailer, hoping for a ricochet. "Now!" Kevin screamed. Both men bolted for the barricade as they fired their MP5's towards the mercs location. It took a few fleeting moments to reach the waist-high obstruction. When they were within a few strides, the pair dove through the air as incoming rounds peppered the wall of the building. Kevin came up firing as he saw Bob's car begin to cross the open area. The mercenaries crouched behind the wall saw it too and opened fire with vigor. They were only able to fire for a few moments as the incoming rounds from the SEALs forced them to crouch lower between the wall and the trailer. ********** Bob Holiday had the pedal as far as it would go as he felt the car shudder from the impacting rounds. When he saw the white smoke begin to bellow from the engine compartment, he swerved to avoid any more damage. When he did, he felt the stabbing torture of two rounds from an AK-47 that tore through his left shoulder. He tried to control the damaged car for a few more moments as the pain engulfed his upper body. Bob skidded to a stop next to the building, as the SEALs exited the right side of the car. Now that the covering fire was complete, everyone ejected their mags and slammed fresh ones in. Bill Haley dragged Adam to the relative safety of the small building and began checking him over. When he ripped the leg of his flight suit open, he was relieved to find the bone wasn't sticking out. From the way the team leader was grimacing, he knew it was a least cracked somewhere near the hip. "I wish I had a splint for you Adam, but since I don't how about some morphine?" "I'll live Bill, get to work on Holiday," Adam ordered then pressed his mike. "Snipers, how about a little help down here, you're not getting paid to watch the show." "I'd love to Adam, but that fucking idiot slammed the cab against the wall, I can only see some of the top of the retaining wall." V-man fired another well placed round into the cement top as he heard the strain in his commander's voice. "Sorry Commander," Wolfie added. "All I can see is the damn tires. I've put a few rounds through the trailer door but I can't see anything." "You two are starting to fit the profile of that nun," Adam muttered as he looked for an exit route, but realized they were pinned down. "Okay, it's official, this is starting to suck." ********** Bashir ran in from the back of the building as he held the small 9mm down towards the floor. Rashida joined him in the middle of the large building after checking the front and sides. With nervous eyes, they continued to scan the interior of the building for a safe way out. He muttered under his breath as he realized they were trapped. "Shit, the only way out is towards the fire fight." "Why don't we just toss a few vials out and kill their assault team?" Rashida asked as she contemplated going out the front door. "We'd risk infecting our own escort, and right now that's who's keeping the bastards occupied. Get the canisters out of the car and we'll hide in that office for now. If it comes down to it, we'll release the entire virus here, and escape as our true form before the humans can react." "What about the other wolves with them?" "They've been playing with the humans for years like obedient mutts; I'm not worried about them," Bashir growled as he headed towards the wrecked BMW. ********** Carl grabbed the .60 caliber and raised it over the roof of the damaged vehicle. The ammo belt reached down to his knees but he dispersed of it in just seconds as he sprayed the trailer and divider in unrelenting hail of hot bullets. Carlos Hernandez saw the heavy gunner from Alpha duck down and start to reload the machine gun. He knew the team had to keep fire superior on their side, so he jumped up and joined Carl on the right side of the car. He began firing short bursts at the retaining wall, trying to keep the enemy pinned. Just as Carl brought the weapon up, they both saw the shoulder-fired weapon emerge from behind the concrete wall. They had no time to return fire, as the projectile headed for them. "Fuck me, incoming RPG," Carl screamed as he dove back behind the building. The two SEALs hit the ground hard as the rest of the team collapsed their bodies to avoid any shrapnel. The riddled car they used as a shield shot upward from the powerful blast, spinning like a child's toy before coming to rest upside down in a fiery mass of metal. The Pandora Effect Ch. 08 Adam shook his head clear; the others could see from the look on his face that he was starting to lose his temper. He knew had to stay calm, but at the same time, anger sometimes pushed him further. "Alright, I've had just about enough of this bullshit! Wolfie, V-man, if you two don't figure out a way to get these assholes subdued, I'm personally gonna tell every sniper in the fucking world that you two couldn't hit a barn with a shotgun if you were standing next to it! Now earn your God damn pay! "Damn it Adam, all I can see is the top of the wall!" V-man screamed back. Wolfie knew they must be reloading for another shot, and Adam's tone was right on target. If they didn't do something soon, it was game over the team. "I've had about enough of this shit too. Dan, keep your crosshairs on that cement wall, I'll give you something to shoot at in two seconds." Mark Wolfhorst slowly released his breath, then pulled the hair trigger of the .50 caliber. As the round penetrated the rear tires of the trailer, he knew it wouldn't cause much damage to the men hidden behind it, but with any luck, it would cause the desired effect. V-man saw the trailer dip down from the blown tire, but that wasn't what made him smile. The concussion from the explosion forced the merc holding the rocket propelled grenade to lean over the wall. Alpha's sniper steadied the SR-25, then pulled the trigger. It took a half a second for his scope to be immersed in a bright orange flash, as the round pierced the grenade. As the smoke cleared, both snipers peered through their scopes. V-man could see Kevin and John peek over the barricade they crouched behind with care. The terminal area was bathed in an unnerving quiet, as the rest of the SEALs came out of hiding. John stood up and looked at the four-foot hole that now graced the side of the trailer. As he scanned the shredded bodies of the men that lay scattered on top of the dividing wall, he crossed himself and whispered a small prayer for the dead. He grabbed his throat mike and smiled. "Now that's what I call extreme prejudice V-man." "Thanks, I guess I get to keep my job huh little buddy." "It's about time you two got in the game," Adam muttered. "All teams, converge on the warehouse -- now!" V-man and Wolfie monitored the area as the teams made their way to the large building. Due to his injury, Adam was the last to arrive at the group of SEALs gathering at the front door to join up with Kevin and John. When John saw his Senior Chief's arm in a sling and his shoulder covered in bright red bandages, he rushed over to check him. "We can't take you anywhere, can we Bob," John chuckled. "It's going to be a hard ride back Doc, with my foot in your ass." "Listen up, we didn't see the tangos leave during the firefight, so I have to assume the little bastards are still in there. Bravo, outside security. If anyone else other that a SEAL comes out, make sure they don't take another fucking breath," Adam growled. "Um -- can we include the two CIA guys on that last one?" Garrett added. As Bravo left to get into position, Adam grabbed Lieutenant Jack Patrick by the arm hard. "Listen to me Jack, I know you're going to want to rush in and help, but don't . Under no circumstances are you or any of your team to enter the building." "What if you guys need back up?" "That's an order Lieutenant! No matter what happens or what you hear, no one goes inside!" "Aye, aye Sir. I'll see you when it's all over," he replied, then shook his friend's hand with a firm grip. Now that his beloved team was around him, Adam surveyed the condition of the men. He knew what kind of enemy was waiting for them inside, and he began to wonder if they could still pull it off with a limited amount of firepower. Jake saw the turmoil within the SEAL he grew to call his friend. The young werewolf placed his hand on Adam's shoulder, trying to settle his growing fear. "It's up to me and Kevin to kill these two. You guys don't have to get involved." "Spoken like a true Marine, but SEALs don't work alone, Jake," Adam replied as he patted the young werewolf's hand. "I'm in better shape than you are Adam, I'll lead them in," Bob said. "With a busted wing and a shot of morphine? I doubt that Bob, you stay out here and help cover the exits. If just one of them comes out as a werewolf, you and V-man are the only ones who won't freeze up," Adam said as he placed his hand on his friend's good shoulder. "Yeah, I see your point." Adam slammed a fresh magazine in a pulled the slide back. "Kevin, Jake, up the middle. Carl, you and John take up the right side. Garrett and I will take left. Remember, they don't escape with the virus, or none of us lives to regret it." "Are you sure you want to go in Adam? You can't move very well," Kevin asked. "That's why I have a werewolf as my back up. I hope that medallion really works." "I took down Kordic back in Predjama with it didn't I?" "Yeah, and as I remember, you had help with that one," Adam reminded him. "Um -- excuse me, what the fuck am I, a Pomeranian?" Jake asked in annoyance. Garrett slapped him in the back. "Hey if the shoe fits Marine. Masks on and let's go say hi." The S.A.D. Director pulled his mask down and opened the front door with caution. ********** Bashir studied the humans' as they began entering the large warehouse. The beast inside him fought for release as two of them stopped in the center and began scanning the area. He ducked back down and looked at his mate as she held the unwrapped canister that contained the world's deadliest virus. "The fools have only sent in four men and their two lap dogs. They won't attack us as long as they think we'll release the virus, so kill the humans first then we take care of the traitors." Bashir's eyes displayed the hatred he felt about the two werewolves sent to kill them. ********** When the team was in position, Kevin and Jake sniffed the air. They both locked in on a small office on the other side of the room. Jake snapped his fingers to get the others attention, and indicated the position of their intended targets. All at once, the lethal men trained their weapons at the doorway across the room. "We can do this one of two ways Haddad. Give us the virus and I promise you a nice long life in a dog kennel of your choice, or everyone dies and it ends here," Adam yelled. Kevin glanced over at his friend in shock. He wasn't sure it was a good idea to aggravate the situation by bantering a werewolf, but given the circumstances, they had very little to lose. He was about to call out to the terrorists for some understanding of what was going to happen to the world, when Bashir and Rashida came out holding two gray canisters. The male terrorist, bent on destroying the world, had a 9mm gun pressed up against the side. Adam stared at the two human shaped werewolves as they walked towards the middle of the room with caution. "Yep, next time some CIA puke wants my help -- shoot him." "Your talented escorts are just outside Bashir. I'm sorry to say they won't be helping you any longer," Garrett said as he trained his weapon at Bashir's head. Bashir stopped and began checking the sides and overhead for any more threats. He held the canister tight as he glared at the insolent human. "Put your weapons down and let us leave, and I'll allow you to live another day." "Sorry Bashir, but if you give us the virus we might just have a deal," Garrett replied as he kept his aim steady. Kevin pulled his desert eagle out of its holster and handed it to his team leader. Jake followed suit as he handed his to Carl, then both of them laid their MP5's and masks on the ground. Kevin knew he had one chance at ending the standoff, if they would listen to reason was the sticking point. Rashida noticed the two werewolves approach as she glared at them with disdain. Given their build, she was sure they were a formidable size wolf, but being with humans as pets their skill was no match for her and her mate. When Kevin and Jake stood in front of them, they showed no emotion as they stared down the two terrorists. The four studied each other for only a brief moment, but to the other SEALs, it was as if hours had passed by. "You two disgust me. How dare you betray your own kind, and then stand there like your one of us," Bashir said in a low arrogant tone. "I think you should know that you've been played this whole time by Nadia Karpov. That virus not only kills every living thing, and that includes our own kind, but it turns them into some kind of zombie. If you release that virus, you'll be responsible for the total demise of humanity AND werewolves," Kevin said as he tried to reason with him. "You're making that up to try and get us to lower our guard," Rashida responded with a hint of skepticism. Jake shook his head in frustration. "Sorry lady, but he's telling you the truth. We saw what that shit does when we took down Mansur. The whole crew and your mercenary friends were like the walking dead." "Why should we believe anything you say? Two of our own kind that are nothing but subservient lap dogs. After we kill your human owners over there, my mate and I are going to show you what a true werewolf is supposed to do," Bashir growled. Kevin stood his ground as the threat to his friends hung in the air. "You can think of us however you want Bashir. I'm sure I can't change your mind on that matter. If this whole undertaking was to have werewolves run the world, then let's settle it as our true selves. We win, we get the virus; you win, you keep it but they get to leave." "Your -- masters -- are not worth the bargaining price." Bashir snickered at the offer. "Fine, if you two win you can have this as a prize too." Kevin pulled the Lycanthrope Medallion out in plain view as he watched Bashir's eyes widen as he gazed upon the sacred artifact. He saw the recognition in his face, along with the need to possess the one thing that would make them supreme above all others. "How could someone as pathetic as you have the medallion?" "Maybe my buddy and I aren't as playful as you might believe." Kevin tucked the medallion away and took a few steps back. Jake did the same but moved off to the side as he stared down Rashida Turk. Adam watched as the two point men took defensive positions. He knew within a few moments, World War 3 was about to start. All he could do was watch and hope for a clean shot without damaging the virus. "I've got a clean head shot Adam. I can end this here," Garrett whispered. "They drop that virus and it opens, we lose Kevin and Jake. We have to wait for another opening." Adam realized Garrett had a point, but he also knew that his friend's life was too steep a price to pay. Bashir slowly lowered the virus down and placed it between himself and Kevin. When he took a step back, Rashida set her canister next to his and moved off to the side. They both knew they were now defenseless and might be harmed if the humans opened fire. In just a blink of the eye, two very large werewolves stared back with gleaming gold eyes. Bashir growled with anger as he revealed his large canine teeth. Kevin took a deep breath, then allowed his true self to emerge from the darkness within him. The muscular werewolf growled back at his enemy and displayed his own menacing teeth, as Jake's large brown mass joined him on the makeshift battlefield. "Holy Mother of God, Jake was telling me the truth," Garrett whispered. The pair of evil wolves moved away from the canisters, but as Rashida took her next step, Jake lunged. Rashida was impressed at his speed, as she leapt at him with her razor sharp talons pointed out. The two hit each other with force as Jake dodged the knife like weapons. Their massive heads battling for position and a quick killing bite. Kevin knew this must be Jake's first time battling another wolf because of his aggressiveness. Kevin studied his own opponent with restraint as Bashir prepared to attack. He could also sense Bashir's hesitation, thinking his own challenger would follow his friend's actions and strike first. When Kevin made no move to attack, Bashir began to wonder if the despicable pet wolf was unsure how to fight. "Young stupid fool," Bashir thought as he released a low, deep, growl. With practiced speed, Bashir sprang towards the young wolf and was prepared to sink his large teeth into the thick meat of Kevin's neck. Kevin felt the medallion's power flow through his body, as he watched Bashir as if in slow motion. This never happened during his first fight in Predjama and he realized the precious medallion had just chosen him as its rightful owner. Kevin shifted to the side an allowed his enemy to get close to his neck. The increased agility surprised him, as he slashed the side of Bashir's face with four destructive claws. Bashir felt the vicious pain as his flesh was torn in strips. When he stumbled to the side in disbelief, Kevin saw his opening and attacked the older wolf, as the two became a tangled mass of fur and teeth. Garrett followed the four wolves that battled in front of him with his weapon. He kept looking for a clear shot, but their movements were so fast he couldn't risk hitting one of his own. Adam was trying to do the same thing with the desert eagle, but Kevin kept twisting and blocking his shot. "Jesus Christ Adam, I can't tell which one is which," Carl screamed. Jake was impressed with the strength of Rashida Turk as they stood on their hind legs trying to get an advantage on one another. He wailed in pain as she sunk her teeth into his powerful shoulder. With all his might, he slammed the side of his huge head into hers as she pulled the flesh from his body. He could feel the blood dripping down his front leg, as he compressed his own sharp cuspids into the back of her neck. The pain in his shoulder fueled his anger as he rolled to his left and flipped her over. As the lighter werewolf flew over him, he placed his hind paws against her body and flung her towards the wall. It was that same anger that caused him not to consider the move before hand, as the brown mass flew straight towards Carl Werner. The three hundred pound she-wolf crashed into the Navy SEAL hard as the pair slammed against the wall. The only thing that saved his spine was the canvas backpack he wore. Adam saw his chance as he moved the .50 caliber handgun up. As he was about to pull the trigger, Rashida darted towards him with lightning speed and slammed her massive head into his ribs. When he buckled under the force, he pulled the trigger and fired one round harmlessly into the ceiling. Rashida left the disabled human on the ground as she shot back towards Jake. Kevin heard the shot ring out and glanced at his friend as he crumpled to the floor. He was torn between helping him and trying to take out Bashir who was giving as good as he got. His body exploded in pain as he felt his front leg give out when the larger werewolf clamped down on it with vise like jaws. He howled in agony as his body was forced to the floor. ********** Carlos Hernandez was kneeling down by Lieutenant Patrick as they covered the building. When he heard the terrifying howl, he started to get up. "What in God's name was that?" Jack grabbed his arm. "Dawson said we stay put, and that's exactly what we're going to do sailor." ********** Garrett could see the four werewolves were busy with each other as the continued to fight with fierceness. He knew he could stop it if he could just get the virus out of the building and in a safe place. With a quick burst of speed, he ran towards the unguarded canisters as the other men watched in amazement. Bashir also saw him race towards the prize and released his opponent's leg. Just as the human was about to reach for one of the canisters, Bashir forced his immense head into the side of his body and slung the human head first into a large steel rack. The other men watched as he slumped to the floor. John watched in horror as another teammate went down. When he felt Adam trying to get up, he helped him lean against the wall. "Don't move too much Boss, you got some broken ribs. Maybe it's time we call in Bravo?" "No -- they -- they don't -- come in." Adam winced with each word as the pain stung him. John grabbed the desert eagle and looked out towards the fighting. With no clear shot, all he could do watch the battle ensue, then an idea came to mind. "Kevin, skeet shooting!" he screamed. As he watched Bashir dive for his exposed throat with his powerful jaws open for the kill, Kevin twisted his hips and shoved his back legs into the mid-section of the attacking monster. It took everything the medallion had to offer to heave his enemy into the air. He watched as Bashir Haddad hung motionless for a split second. John held the grip of the handgun tight, and then pulled the trigger on the powerful weapon. The sound was deafening as the depleted uranium round left the barrel. When it connected with Bashir's massive chest, it forced him back almost a foot as the werewolf crashed to the floor near the canisters he fought to keep Jake Newton tried as hard as he could to get at Rashida's throat. She was definitely an experienced fighter as they both maneuvered for position, but when she heard the shot ring out, she braced herself for the incoming round. When none came, she nipped at Jake's face and in a twist of fate, glanced over at her mate. Jake realized he had just seconds to react. He sank his teeth into Rashida's neck with a vengeance, as he slashed away with both sets of razor sharp talons. He tried to inflict as much damage as he could to her chest, then with his last once of strength, he bit down. Rashida Turk, the beautiful but evil werewolf, howled for a fleeting moment before her windpipe crushed under the immense pressure. Jake pulled at the tender flesh as blood spurted into his mouth then; he collapsed to the floor beside her. Exhausted and beaten down, Jake transformed into his ragged and torn human self. As he tried to crawl away from the body of his enemy, John ran up and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder to keep him still. The tired S.A.D. operative looked up at saw the angel staring back with a soft smile. "All the -- bad guys -- dead?" Jake whispered. "Yeah Jake, you can rest now," John replied as he placed Jake's mask on his face. Kevin groaned out as the pain screamed through his busted right arm. He now lay on the cold cement as a Navy SEAL, putting pressure on the open wound. His torn clothes allowed the Lycanthrope Medallion to slip out and rest of the floor next to him. Kevin turned his head and gazed with a hint of understanding at his werewolf brother in arms. Being an only child had been rough on the young werewolf, but now he knew, no matter where he went or how troubled life became, he had a brother for eternity. "You okay -- Jarhead?" Jake forced a smile at his new family member. "Never -- felt better -- Squid." Adam moved with care towards the mess in the center of the warehouse. He tried to put most of his weight on Carl as he helped him forward. When he looked down at the two smiling men, he knew with a bit of rest, the two werewolf warriors would soon be back to their old selves. The battered SEAL saw Garrett trying to get up after being smashed into the steel beam of the racks. "Doc, those two clowns just need a Band-Aid, go see to Director Brown." "Aye, aye Sir," he replied as he moved over towards the slow moving body. Adam stuck his hand down towards his dear friend and point man. "Can you stand, or do I need to call in a medevac?" Kevin reached out with his good arm and grasped his team leaders hand with a firm grip. As he stood, he looked at his Adam with amusement. "Does a one legged duck swim in circles?" The Pandora Effect Ch. 08 Jake took caution as he made it to his feet and checked his flight suit. He pulled at the tattered rags and moved towards the others. His face was bleeding slightly, the most serious being a small gash above his left eye. In a protective gesture, he closed it and stood next to his new friends with a sense of pride. "That was my first time taking on another werewolf," Jake said as he looked at the torn body of the Rashida Turk. Kevin reached his hand out to his new brother. "We came out on top Jake, that's all that matters in that kind of fight." The four men were so busy congratulating each other on a hard fought victory; they failed to notice the flickering eyes of Bashir Haddad. The dying man let his breath out with care so as not to draw attention in his direction. The searing pain in his chest was over shadowed by the sight of his mate lying dead on the cold cement floor. "If we have to die, then these -- humans -- are going with us." Jake saw it first as Bashir grabbed one of the canisters. He reached down to his thigh where his desert eagle should have been. He cursed himself as he palmed the empty holster. "Son of bitch is still alive!" The other men were so surprised at the claim; they only had time to look at Bashir as he opened the lid to the container and sling it towards John and Garrett. John Henry Balch saw the device hurl towards them and instinctively placed his body between the canister and Garrett Brown. Carl Werner swung the .60 caliber towards Bashir and pulled the trigger, releasing half a belt of ammo into the man's body lying on the floor. The four men stared on in horror as the open container smashed against John's back, spilling it contents. Kevin held his breath as he darted towards the front door where his mask lay on the ground. With extreme torment screaming from his arm, he checked the straps and went to help John and Garrett. As he reached them, he stood behind Carl and Jake as they tried not to encounter the open vials that lay shattered on the floor. Carl grabbed John and he winced from the pain in his back, as Jake grabbed his director and pulled him clear of the spreading virus. When they were clear of the broken glass vials, they laid the pair down and began checking them over. Kevin saw in an instant the new threat they all faced, as Garrett began to cough slightly. "Adam, we have a problem here," he said as the team leader hobbled over. Adam looked down at the two men he had come to trust with his life. John's mask had a large crack in it, while most of Garrett's face shield was shattered from the impact against the steel beam. The Navy SEAL knew the Director of the Special Activities Division was doomed to a specific fate, a fate that they all feared when they accepted this mission. Adam grimaced as he knelt down. "Garrett -- Garrett can you hear me buddy?" "You don't -- ugh -- have to shout. I'm -- ugh -- not deaf." "Garrett, the virus is out. How do we stop it?" Adam asked with a hurried tone. "And here -- ugh -- I thought you -- ugh -- SEALs were good." The sarcasm did little to lighten the strain Adam felt. "Mediocre -- even on our best day buddy. How do we stop it?" "Biggest fire ball you -- ugh -- you can make. Better hurry, this stuff is working -- ugh -- fast." Adam began looking around for anything flammable. When he spotted some drums along the far wall, he ordered Carl and Jake to drag as many as they could, as quickly as they could, to the center of the warehouse. The two men raced to complete the task, as Dawson looked down at his medic. "John, you okay?" "Yep, like a new born -- ugh -- baby," John replied with a small cough of his own. Kevin stared on in disbelief. He knew of John Balch's true self; a guardian angel. If Gabriel sent him to help the team recover the virus, then it shouldn't have any effect on him. Then it dawned on him, the angel that broke the rules of heaven by bringing him back needed a way out. He had to go back without anyone being suspicious of his real identity. "John, we can get you out. Maybe we can find the cure before it's too late," Kevin said loud enough for everyone to hear. "Did your -- ugh -- elevator get stuck between floors? Look on the bright side buddy -- ugh -- maybe I'll have a ship named after me," he replied with a short laugh as the drums of gasoline were placed near them. Adam touched Garrett's shoulder and the fading man looked up. "You understand what's going to happen to you Garrett. I can't bring myself to shoot you or John. I just can't do it. I said I could, but I just can't." "Less talk -- ugh -- more do." Garrett looked down at his hands as small white blisters began to form. "Carl get the C-4 out and place it on the drums, use all of it and make it fast," Adam screamed. "Boss, are you sure..." "Hurry up before this shit gets out!" While Carl reached into his backpack and began placing the thirty pounds of plastic explosive against the steel drums, Jake started pulling out the detonators and wiring them together. After everything was set, Jake ran the wire out a few feet while Carl reached in for the automatic timer. "How long you want, Commander?" "Two minutes." Adam locked eyes with the dying men. "I'm so sorry guys, I wish I could..." Adam tried to say through a choked voice. "One -- ugh -- favor," Garrett whispered. "Name it, Garrett" "Tanner Eason, punch -- ugh -- lights out." It took all the will power he had to control his emotions as Adam's eyes filled with tears. "I'll make sure he doesn't wake up for a week, Director Brown." John pulled his mask off and slightly coughed as he reached out and held Garrett's swelling hand. There was no fear in his eyes, no sense of impending doom, as he looked around at the faces of some of the bravest men he'd ever met, in any life time. "You guys need to move out -- now," John said as he looked at his team leader. "Carl?" "We're set Adam, let me know when to start it." "May God forgive me," he thought as the tears became too much to withhold. "Now." The timer began counting down as Carl and Jake grabbed Adam Dawson and helped him towards the door. Adam turned his head and saw Kevin still kneeling next to the team's medic. As they stopped by the door, Jake pressed his mike button. "Bravo, we're coming out. We need a hand with Dawson, he's hurt," Jake said. "Hurry up Dvorska, clocks ticking!" Adam screamed. With a hushed tone, he spoke to the angel who was done with his part of the mission. "John, after we leave, you have to show him. Let him know not to be afraid of where he's going." "I was planning on it my friend. May God watch over you and your team," he whispered back. "Tell Gabe I said hi and slap my dad for me," Kevin added, and then ran to the door. After everyone went outside, the front door slammed closed, this left two men to face the end alone. Two members from Bravo, picked Adam up in a firefighter's carry and everyone sprinted as fast as they could away from the large warehouse. Inside the doomed building, Garrett looked up at the SEAL medic. He wore a soft smile on his face as he looked back at him. As Garrett continued to stare into his peaceful blue eyes, a gleaming aura of radiance pulsed around him. Soon, it's loving warmth enveloped around both of them. "What -- ugh -- what are you?" "I'm a friend Garrett. You don't need to be afraid anymore, I'm here to help you go home." "Ugh -- home?" "Yes Garrett, you're going home." John ran his hand across the side of the dying man's head. A peaceful smile formed on Garrett's face, as he closed his eyes for the last time. John looked towards the heavens, as he heard the loud click of the timer. "Welcome your children home Father," he whispered, as the orange heat engulfed them. 25,000 feet, one hour and thirty minutes out from Andrews Air Force Base. The Air Force Colonel, Tony Richards, checked his charts, and then glanced up at the compass of the Gulfstream V. This was his fifth flight in the squadron's newest VIP aircraft and he made a mental note to let the ground crew check out the slight deviation. As he typed in some new coordinates, the sleek jet veered to the left a few degrees. His co-pilot, Major Richard Seems, sipped at the small cup of coffee as he scanned the sky. "We should be within Andrews control area soon. This tail wind is helping us out a lot. I'm gonna stretch my legs before we get into final. You need anything while I'm up, Dick?" Tony asked as he unstrapped from the seat. "No thanks Skipper; I'll get what I need when I get home tonight," he told the silver haired man as he tapped the bright photo of a dark haired beauty taped to the dash. The Commanding Officer of the Presidential Airlift Group made his way out of the cockpit and headed aft. As he stepped through the small partition, his soft hazel eyes looked over the six men dressed in brand new camouflaged fatigues. When he first picked them up in London, he thought at first he was flying a medevac mission. All of them had some type of bandages or braces adorning their rugged looking bodies. The obvious team leader had his leg stretched out while he played with the awkward brace with one hand, and held a cold bottle of beer in the other. A stunning blond haired woman in a sharp business suit sat next to him sipping a mixed drink. He chuckled inside and thought of his own lovely bride waiting for him at home, as the woman slapped the SEAL in his arm and told him to stop. The older man across the aisle watched them with a smile, as he adjusted his arm in the bright white sling. He noticed the other passengers sitting quietly as they drank their beers and stared out the cabin windows. "Commander, how are you and your guys holding up back here?" Tony asked as he leaned up against one of the wide plush seats. "As well as can be expected I guess, how long before we hit Andrews, Sir?" Adam Dawson asked. Tony checked his watch. "We'll be on final vectors in just under an hour." "That sounds great. We're almost out of beer," Adam said with a smile. Tony laughed at the remark, even though he knew they weren't drinking that much. He knew nothing about how the SEALs became injured, or even if they accomplished their task. His only orders were to pick them up and take them to Andrews for further transport. Although one particular phone call told him, the team was to be well taken care of during the flight. "I'll see what I can do about pulling over at the next gas station," Tony said with a short chuckle. Bob leaned over and looked at the seasoned pilot. "Excuse me Sir, who do we owe the special treatment to? I mean this is pretty upscale, even for you Air Force guys." "What this old bucket? This is nothing compared to the 747 I usually fly. As far as who you thank, well I guess I'm like you guys. Keep your mouth shut and do you job." "Um -- Colonel, when you touch down could you have the duty driver take us to pick up a van or something? I think we're all ready to just call it a day and sit around at the house," Adam said as he leaned back. "There won't be a need for that Commander, there's transportation waiting for you when we get there. Orders are to take you and your men to Langley, and that's all I know." The words hung in the air as Kristine joined the others in a long groan. "Jesus Christ, haven't we been through enough?" Adam rubbed his eyes as the thought of another debrief ran through his mind. He and the others of Alpha and Bravo fire teams must have gone through the details of the firefight and subsequent explosion a hundred times. Once Kristine joined them a few days later, they all went over it another fifty. After two weeks of being poked, prodded, x-rayed, and questioned, he knew the others joined him in the annoyance at having to do it again. Adam struggled to stand up, and then faced his fire team. "Alright settle down everyone. I don't want to go through this again any more than you guys do. Let's just get there, get it done, and get home. Any questions?" Kevin leaned out into the aisle. "Yeah Boss, since you're up, can you get me another beer from the back?" The Lieutenant Commander picked up his crutch and pointed at his werewolf friend. "How'd you like to practice a HALO without a chute Dvorska?" Central Intelligence Agency Headquarters, Langley, Virginia. Two black limousines pulled into the semi-circle drive and stopped in front of the large glass entranceway. Well-groomed men jumped out of the passenger seats and opened the doors for the battered assault team. As Adam labored to exit, he saw a young man pushing a wheel chair out to him. With his men assembled him, he felt a sense of pride and strode past the stunned attendant and into the building. Kristine held the door open as five Navy SEALs and one S.A.D. operative moved inside. Adam made his way to the front desk and noticed the same incompetent guard was on duty the first time he met up with Garrett Brown at Langley. He could see the apprehension in Rich Woods' eyes as the confident SEAL leaned against the polished wood. "I assume we're here for a debriefing, so if you scramble an assault team because you're nervous about us, you should know something first. I'm in a foul mood, and I'll shove this crutch so far up your ass, it'll take a surgeon a month to get it out," Adam said in a low gruff tone. "Yes Sir, sub level two briefing room, Sir." Adam noticed Woods' shivered a bit at the harsh threat. ********** Tanner Eason ruffled through the numerous after action reports of both SEAL teams and his own S.A.D operative. With the death of Garrett Brown, he knew he had to act fast in naming a replacement, and with a little guidance, one that would follow his agenda without thinking for himself. He was so engrossed with the reports and replacement names, the loud buzzing of the phone startled him. "I thought I told you no interruptions," Tanner said with a callous tone. "I'm sorry Sir. This is Woods at the front desk; the team just arrived and is waiting in the briefing room." "Very well. Keep their rides at the front door, they won't be here long." ********** Jake Newton had his head leaned back with his eyes closed. Quick visions of the last time he was in this room watching the film of the Pandora effect on a lab rat took over his thoughts. He could see his friends face, how he handled the room full of SEALs. He prayed that whoever replaced him, would have the same high level of achievement that his friend Garrett Brown had. "Hey Boss, I don't want to sound agitated here, but how long are we going to wait before we say fuck it?" Carl asked as he shifted in his seat. Adam checked his watch, and then looked at his weapons expert. "If they're not here in fifteen minutes Carl, we extract and find our own way home." Just as Carl and the rest of Alpha fire team checked their watches, the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, Tanner Eason, strolled into the briefing room. He carried with him a small stack of papers and a few pens. After setting them down on the table, he stood upright and smiled at the group who just saved the human race. "Dawson, you and your men -- oh and wife -- did a fantastic job. We've been checking the area and there's no sign the virus survived the explosion. Although I wish you wouldn't have had to blow up a warehouse to do it, it all worked out in the end." Adam glared at him with contempt. "We lost two -- very -- good men on that take down, and you wish we didn't have to blow up a building?" "Don't take it the wrong way Dawson. We all feel the loss of Brown and -- I'm sorry what was your medic's name?" "John, John Henry Balch," Adam replied as he felt his anger begin to rise. "Oh yes, now I remember. Like I was saying, we all feel the loss of Brown and your medic, but in this line of work, we have to be realistic when we deal with acceptable losses. I'm sure you can appreciate the idea of -- for the greater good." "Is that why we're here, to debrief you on the loss of two of the bravest men I've ever met -- for the greater good?" Adam clutched his fist repeatedly as the rage began to take over. "This won't take long Dawson," he replied as he handed out papers to everyone. "This is just a brief statement that I need you all to sign. In short, it states you won't discuss the facts of this mission or the knowledge of the virus with anyone. I don't need to tell you about security and all that, but regulations are regulations." Jake leaned forward and placed his arms on the table. "Mr. Eason, with all due respect, these men know what secrecy is. Telling them to sign a piece of paper to keep quiet is like telling a monkey to eat the banana. They know what to do -- Sir." "Yes I'm sure they do, but rules are rules Mr. Newton. By the way, after a few days off, I'm reassigning you to the armory. I'd feel a lot better knowing that someone as capable as yourself is taking care of the arsenal we have down there." Jake looked on in shock at being removed from the S.A.D. Adam too was astonished at the turn of events and was about to voice his loathing for the manipulative politician, when he noticed the door start open. Two brawny men dressed in well-fitted suits entered. They scanned the room with a trained eye and then moved to the side. All heads turned at the intrusion into the meeting, and Tanner Eason was about to voice his objection to being interrupted, when he stopped short and stared. A tall man with light streaks of grey through his black hair entered the room. He had a stern look on his face as he looked down at the SEALs. The suit he wore looked tailored and fit the athletic man like a glove. His soft green eyes locked onto Adam Dawson as he stood between the other two men. "Attention on deck!" Adam screamed. The SEALs jumped up stood like statues as Kristine slowly rose to her feet. Everyone stared ahead as Kristine continued to look at the man in the doorway. When he darted his eyes towards her, she felt a small twinge of humbleness at the unannounced visit. Tanner Eason, being the true manipulator that he was, couldn't pass up a moment like this. "Um -- Mr. President, what an honor it is to have you visit today. If I knew you were coming Sir, I would have met you when you arrived." Henry Walker shifted his focus to his appointed Director of the CIA. He knew the man had political ambitions far beyond managing the agency, but if you wanted to keep an eye on your competition, you placed them where you could watch them. With a quick smile towards Tanner, he walked in and pulled an open chair out. "Since you men look pretty beat up, I won't leave you at attention forever. Stand easy SEALs." They all stood loose with their hands tucked behind them as they watched the President take his seat. Once he was seated, only then did they join him at the long shimmering oak table. "Well, well, well, the great Lieutenant Commander Dawson. It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person. I must say, your reputation precedes you." "Thank you Mr. President, I think." The President looked just to the left of him at the petite woman seated by his side. "I take it this is your lovely wife Kristine. It's a pleasure to meet someone with such capability, in such a small package." "Um -- the pleasure is all mine, Mr. President." "I don't mean to interrupt Mr. President, but I was just debriefing the men on the mission. I have to have them sign the confidentiality paperwork required for any member involved in a mission outside the agency," Eason said as he fidgeted with nervous anxiety. "Oh I see, well rules are rules eh Tanner?" The President locked eyes with Adam again. "We can't have any -- misinformation -- leaking out to the public. What are your thoughts on that Mr. Dawson?" The Pandora Effect Ch. 08 Adam paused for just a split second, and then decided that being himself was the best course of action. "Personally, I think Eason can't take that piece of paper and shove it up his ass. I'm a United States Navy SEAL and I know what my duty is to my country and my men -- Sir." The whole team looked on in shock, as their team leader never blinked an eye and sat up a little straighter in his high backed leather chair. The President chuckled and tried to hide his smirk as he looked down at his folded hands on the table. Tanner Eason however found no humor in the insulting remark and was beside himself. "How dare you address him in that manner! I can't fathom why you're an officer in the Navy. I'm going to call your command and..." "Calm down Tanner, Mr. Dawson was just speaking his mind," Walker said as he looked at Adam. "That -- Sir -- is a trait I sometimes miss in politics. Speaking of your men, I'm truly sorry at the loss of your medic, Petty Officer Balch. From what I've heard, he was a very gifted man." "So was Director Brown. He never flinched when he told us to blow the building," Adam added. "I'm setting up a private memorial service for him here at Langley. He had no family to speak of, he treated his men as his family so I thought it would be fitting to say goodbye here." "Oh," Kristine sobbed as she brought her hand to her mouth to hide her quivering lips. "Mrs. Dawson; feeling sorrow for a fallen team member doesn't fit the bill as the cast iron -- person -- I've heard about. I'm rarely surprised in my current position, but maybe the reports about you have been somewhat misleading." "Sorry Mr. President, he was a good man." "Yes Mrs. Dawson he was, I just wish I could do more for him other than a shiny piece of metal and a star out front on some board." Adam pushed his chair out and stood then placed his crutch on the arm of the chair. As he limped towards the President, he grabbed Carl's chair for balance. He realized that this was neither the time nor place for this, but something inside him screamed for a reckoning of the price paid by his teammates. "Something to add Mr. Dawson?" the President asked as he watched Adam steady himself. "Yes Sir, before Garrett gave his last full measure of duty, he asked me to do a favor for him." "If there's anything I can do to make it happen, you just say the word and it's done," Walker offered. Adam stood next to Director Eason, and with care, moved his right hand down to an open pocket on his fatigues. In an extraordinary display of speed, he shoved his fist just behind Tanner's eye. Adam's powerful blow crushed the bureaucrat's temple, as the Director's eyes slid sideways and his body spun out of control. After crashing in an unresponsive mass to the floor, the Navy SEAL looked at the President of the United States. His expression still fueled by the fuming rage inside him. The Secret Service agents by the door moved towards Dawson and he took a step back. The other members of Alpha fire team stood in haste and faced the two agents. President Walker's hand shot up towards his bodyguards and he cocked his head. "Stop! Nick, Fred, if these men meant any harm to me at all, I'd be dead already. You go after Dawson for doing something most of us have wanted to do for three years; his team here will make sure you regret it. Now let's all sit down and talk about what happens next." Adam looked down at the unconscious CIA Director. "That was from Garrett Brown, you spineless son of a bitch." "Well, now that we have that out of the way. For the record, you and your team have been on training maneuvers with the British government. Off the record, your country owes you a debt that she may never be able to repay," Walker said. "We were doing our jobs -- Sir," Jake muttered. Walker looked down the table at the lone S.A.D. man who was helpless to save his boss. He softened his posture and pondered what kind of feelings the young man was going through. Even though he was in the military in his younger days, Walker had trouble coming to grips what that kind of devotion took, to watch your friend die, knowing you couldn't do anything to stop it. "You must be Newton, Brown's point man," Walker said. "Yes Sir, Jake Newton." "Your boss was a pretty good leader." "One of the best Mr. President." "You think Eason here is going to replace him with someone that might get you killed? That is if he ever wakes up again," the President chuckled hard. "Not me Sir, I'm being transferred to the armory. I guess I'm not good enough anymore for missions," Jake said as he glared at the body of Tanner Eason. "You're not going to the armory, Mr. Newton. Before I came over, I picked up your new boss. Fred, would you please go fetch the Director of the Special Activities Division for me." The Secret Service agent cracked opened the door and motioned for someone in the hall to come in. When the door was pushed opened, a salt and peppered haired man walked in and he gave the men seated at the table a ridged look. His bright gold tie contrasted hard against the white starched shirt and Navy blue suit. The older man looked more like a business executive than a special operative. "Well you fucking clowns look like shit. Haven't you ever heard of safety first?" Neal Hawkins strolled over towards the fallen body of Tanner Eason. "Well I guess I'll say hi to him later on." Adam jumped up and hopped towards his longtime companion. "What the hell are you doing here Neal? I thought you retired?" "Like I told you in Aviano, guys like us don't fish -- we hunt," Neal said as he shook hands with the fellow SEAL. "I hope you approve of my choice for a new S.A.D. Director, Mr. Newton. I have a feeling you're going to get more than you hoped for." "Yes Sir, I think I can whip the old man into something useful," Jake replied with a huge smile. "What about you Mr. Dawson? It's no secret the teams have had a -- how do you SEALs put it -- hard on for the CIA." "No problem here Mr. President," Adam said as he smiled all the way back to seat. "I'm glad to hear that, it will come in handy with the next bit of news," Walker said as he reached into his jacket. The President pulled out a large stuffed envelope and tossed it towards Adam. The SEAL picked it up and looked back with a confused look. "First things first. Lieutenant Commander Dawson, you and your team have a one-month leave, off the books of course. I don't care where you go or what you do, just don't talk about Pandora. If you wouldn't mind going over my proposal during that time, I'd appreciate it. I expect your answer at the completion of your leave." "With all due respect Mr. President, I don't like surprises and neither do my men. Why don't you just tell me what you're thinking?" Walker turned his head towards his new Director. "It was your idea, you tell him Hawkins." "The whole idea is outlined in there Adam. It's an idea I've been working on for the past few years. We want you to start up a brand new SEAL team. You're recruits won't come from Coronado, they'll be hand-picked by you from any SEAL team in the fleet." "And just what may I ask do you want this -- new -- team to do?" "Black ops, you'll be allowed to let your hair grow as long as you want, grow a beard for all I give a shit. No one will know who you are, or what your job is. You'll be assigned missions that are off the books and no one else can handle out of the five teams." "Okay I'll look it over. The President's personnel shit squad huh," Adam said as he flipped the envelope in his hands. Walker leaned over towards Adam. "As a matter of fact Mr. Dawson, I was thinking more along the lines of SEAL Team Six, although shit squad is catchy too." Kevin Dvorska's residence, Virginia Beach, Virginia. Laura sat on the couch, her small hands clasped together, as the thoughts raced through her mind. The phone call from Kevin was short and the only thing he could tell her was he'd be home today. She picked up the remote and turned on the television. After flipping through the channels, she turned it off and tossed the remote on the small coffee table just in front of her. "Come on, you should have been home by now," she muttered as she checked her watch. She laid her head back and closed her eyes. As her head contacted the overstuffed couch, she felt the blond wig that hid her burn scars from childhood shift just a touch. Laura reached up to adjust it when she was startled by a sudden knock on the door. She cursed the unwanted intrusion, and marched to the door in hopes of getting rid of the individual in short fashion. "Whoever you are, you need to leave. My boyfriend is coming home and I don't need visitors," she whispered, as she placed the safety chain on and opened the door. When she peaked outside, a blazing smile crossed her face and with a quick motion shut the door. Once the chain was free, she threw opened the door and ran outside. She gave the young man a quick hug, and then looked around the parking lot. "John, welcome home. Now where's that big hunk of a man I've been waiting for?" John Balch held a small package as he joined her in searching the parking lot. He knew there was little time to sit down and chat with her, Kevin would be arriving within minutes. Gabriel gave him permission to do this one favor, as long as none of the other team members from Alpha saw him. "Um -- I got out of the debriefing a few minutes early. The others are right behind me Laura, so Kev should be here very soon. I just wanted to stop by and drop this off for my little buddy," he said as he handed her the small brown wrapped package. "I'll make sure he gets it John. Do you want to come in and wait for him," she said as she stepped to the side. "That won't be necessary Laura," he said with a wave of his hand. "I need to get back home too. Just tell him Gabe sends his regards, he'll know what you mean." "Okay, anything for one of the guys." John started to walk away but hesitated briefly before turning around and facing the once small girl he watched over during a fateful night long ago. "Oh I almost forgot, just one more thing Laura." John walked back to her and wrapped his arms around her, giving her a gentle hug. Laura returned the gesture, as she laid her chin upon his muscular shoulder. As she hugged John back, she began to feel a strange warmth wrap around her. "Wow, you're really warm. You should head to the club and see about taking care of that fire Mister," she said with a small laugh as she stepped back. "Maybe I will, take care of yourself Laura and make sure Kevin gets that." "Sure thing, see ya soon John," she said as she walked back in and closed the door. Laura tossed the package on the table, and went to the kitchen to get a bottle of water. As she pulled the insulated door open, she could still feel the warmth from John's hug, even with the chilled air coming from the open refrigerator. "Now that boy's got a heater to give some girl on a cold night," she thought as she closed the door and entered the living room. She was just about to sit down, when the front door opened and the man she gave her whole heart to, came walking through. As their eyes met, time stood still for both of them. The love they shared for each other knew no bounds, even with the secrets they both hid from the world around them. "Hi Honey, I'm home," Kevin said as he held out his powerful arms. Laura took just three steps before launching herself into his waiting arms. She hugged him as tight as she could as she wrapped her slender legs around him and squeezed. Kevin groaned as he felt the pressure increase, and she relented her hold on him as she softened the embrace. The young woman leaned back but left her legs and arms wrapped around her werewolf boyfriend. "God I've missed you so much. I've been dying for you to get home since you called me from London." "Is that right, I couldn't tell," Kevin said as he swung her back and forth with care. "Oh you evil werewolf you. Don't make fun of me, I can't help it." Kevin let her down and walked to the kitchen for a drink. As he walked back to be with his love, he felt the moisture dampening his short sleeved shirt. It had been a long trip and even longer day. He knew a hot shower was the first thing on the list. "I must smell like an old rag factory. I'm gonna get cleaned up before we get into the welcome home party." Kevin waved his hand in front of his face in mock disgust. "I'll go get the shower ready for us baby. After that we need to sit down and talk about stuff." "Oh, oh, now what have you gotten yourself into?" "Later sweetheart, right now I just want to feel you against me," she replied as she walked with hurried steps to the bathroom. Kevin stretched as he sat the beer down on the coffee table. He noticed a small package on the table mixed in with some bills and papers. "I'll go through that shit later, shower first." As Kevin pulled his shirt off, he noticed Laura leaning out of the bathroom entrance. Her shirt was unbuttoned and her perky breasts stood out for his viewing pleasure. She caressed the supple mound of flesh, as she smiled with an air of seduction. In sudden remembrance, she bolted upright and paused in the manipulation of her body. "Oh, I almost forgot baby, John was just here. He left a package for you on the coffee table, and said to tell you some guy named Gabe said hi." Kevin looked on in shock at his true love. "What -- what did you just say?" "John was just here. He left just a few minutes before you got home. Didn't you see him on the way in?" Kevin darted for the front door and threw it open. He scanned the area as he stepped out onto the steps. He found no trace that the guardian angel was anywhere around. He ran back in and shut the door with unnecessary force, looking at his stunned girlfriend. "What's the matter Kevin? You look like you've just seen a ghost," she asked, her face full of confusion. "What did he want Laura? What did he say?" "Nothing sweetie, he just wanted to drop a package off for you. It's right there on the table. Now if you don't mind, I want to get in the shower with you before all the hot water is gone," she said as she walked back into the bathroom. Kevin ripped the brown wrapping apart and held the paperback book in his hands. He flipped it over and looked at the cover. The photo of the Congressional Medal of Honor adorned most of the cover, and then he noticed a small piece of paper tucked between the pages. He thrust the book open and removed the note. "Hi Kev, thought you'd like to know why I was chosen. Take care of yourself and Laura. She's something pretty special. John." Kevin looked down at the page and gasped in shock. In large bold letters, was the name of a recipient of the nation's highest award. His eyes misted over as he began to read the citation. Balch, John henry. Pharmacist's Mate First Class, U.S. Navy. Place and Date: Vierzy, France, and Somme-Py, France, 19 July and 5 October 1918. Entered Service At: Kansas City, Mo. Born: 2 January 1896, Edgerton, Kans. Citation: For gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty, with the 6th Regiment, U.S. Marines, in action at Vierzy, on 19 July 1918. Balch unhesitatingly and fearlessly exposed himself to terrific machinegun and high-explosive fire to succor the wounded as they fell in the attack, leaving his dressing station voluntarily and keeping up the work all day and late into the night unceasingly for 16 hours. Also in the action at Somme-Py on 5 October 1918, he exhibited exceptional bravery in establishing an advanced dressing station under heavy shellfire. Kevin placed the book on the table and looked up. "Thank you for your service Petty Officer Balch," he whispered as he wiped a tear from his cheek. Kevin was ripped from his thoughts of the team's guardian angel as he heard Laura's startling scream. He darted to the bathroom door and flung it open. What he saw took his breath away, as he stared at his love trembling in front of the mirror. She turned to him; fear and bewilderment occupied her searching eyes. Kevin couldn't find the words to tell her what was happening. There was only one explanation of why her scars that she lived with since she was a little girl were now gone. What remained was healthy smooth skin, sparkling with small vibrant specks of hair starting to peek out. "How -- what's happening -- I don't..." Kevin placed his finger upon her trembling lips. As he slid his hand across her face, his loving eyes calmed her, but yet, he could not find the words that belonged to the emotion bursting from his heart. If anyone in this world deserved a new lease on life, a small gift from heaven, it was his true love. She believed in him, accepted him, loved him with all her soul, even with the knowledge that he was the world's most efficient killing machine. Kevin dropped to his knees and wrapped his arms around her slim waist. A feeling of peace warmed his body, as he felt her delicate hands stroke his hair, then pulled him close to her body. He knew at that very moment, his life was complete, and he needed nothing else but her. Laura eased his head back and looked down at her soul mate. The loving emotion etched into his tan face, made her realize that this one man, this one caring soul, saw the beauty inside her, when others turned in disgust, or laughed with mock. She felt a twinge of self-pity at having to hide those scars. Not only the external ones, but also the ones you could not see with the naked eye. Her bottom lip quivered as she gazed upon him with all the love her heart held within it. "I don't pretend to understand what's happening, but maybe somewhere, somehow, this is happening for a reason. I was waiting for later to talk to you, but something is driving me, and I have no words to describe it. I love you so much Kevin; I can't imagine a life without you by my side." "I feel the same way Laura. I love you with all my heart and I'll always be there until I take my last breath," he said as the wetness began to fill his eyes. "I hope there's enough love in your heart for both of us." Laura waited for the news to strike him, as she looked on in hope. Kevin glanced at her belly, and then back to his lover's eyes as the tears now flowed freely down his face. As his soul mate joined him in release, Kevin placed her soft hand in his, and kissed it with trembling lips. He tried to focus on her face, but found it difficult. The salty liquid that flowed down his face blurred his sharp vision. Blinking his eyes rapidly, he stared at the woman he would gladly lay down his life for. "Will you marry me Laura?" Laura's body began to quiver when she heard the question that she prayed for, believed in against all odds, but thought the tender moment was abandoned to her forever. Her own tears dropped with light splashes, onto the tender face looking back at her, as she leaned down to kiss the beast, who took a leap of faith for love. "Yes." * Well, there it is everyone, all 91,000 plus words of it. I hope you enjoyed 'The Pandora Effect' as much as I enjoyed writing it. I know I didn't put many sex scenes in this story, although I could have sent Carl across the street for a quickie but he was tad busy at the time. I pray the Literotica readers won't take it out on me too bad. For those of you that wanted Laura and Kevin's dream to come true, there you go. Thank you again everyone for making the last few years very memorable for me. I must have said it a dozen times, but it still rings true -- the nonhuman fans are the best. Don't forget to vote so I know how I did and please; enjoy your journey, you never know where it will lead you. The Pandora Effect "Garrett Brown." "Garrett, Tanner here, did you have a chance to go over the photos yet?" "I was just going over them, Tanner." "To be perfectly honest with you, I've only seen a few of them. My background is more in the political side of the Agency. I don't usually have to deal with the blood and guts of things. I was wondering, what's your take on what happened?" "I've got a few more to look through. Why don't you come over to my office and we can discuss it face to face?" "I'll be there in a few minutes." The line went dead as Garrett Brown continued looking at the grizzly photos. When he finally reached the last one, he saw the body of the team leader, Aaron Lancaster. Suddenly, something caught his eye. Garrett pulled over a half globe magnifier and placed it on the photo. After moving it over Aaron's legs, he noticed something strange. Five deep slash marks on the upper part of his leg. As he studied the new discovery, Tanner Eason walked in and sat down. "Either you're asleep, or you found something of interest in that photo." "This is the first time we've ever found evidence of an attack. Take a look at this last photo, and tell me what you see." When Tanner began looking at it, he felt his stomach turn at the sheer horror of the scene. This was the second time he looked at the series of photos, and the feeling of nausea was just as intense. After handing the photo back to Garrett, he took a deep breath to settle his nerves. "The only thing I saw was a mutilated body." "Here look again, and pay attention to Aaron's leg." "Twice in one day is my limit on gore. Why don't you just come out and tell me what you found." "How the fuck did you become Director of the CIA?" Garrett thought as he stared at the pudgy man. "You can see five claw marks on his leg. The only animal with that much power is a bear, a big one." "So you're saying they were attacked by a bear?" Tanner asked. "I doubt it. They had enough firepower to wipe out six bears. One other thing that's got me stumped -- a bear doesn't do that kind of carnage. Once you're dead, they'll leave you alone because you're no longer a threat. These men were eaten after they were killed." "I see your line of thought, but what about wolves or wild dogs?" "Maybe, but I remember a few years ago, something similar like this happened to a SEAL fire team. They were on a sneak and peek outside of Predjama Slovenia. Their CIA Liaison Officer sent me the after action report of the team that picked up the pieces." Tanner stared hard at the muscular director. "You're not thinking of doing something stupid are you, Garrett?" "They're stationed at the Little Creek Amphibious Base. I just want to talk to them and maybe get a sense of what the hell we're dealing with. They might know something that they didn't put in the report." "Ok, I'll agree to it. I insist you keep a low profile and under no circumstances are they to know why the team was out there in the first place." Garrett Brown gathered the photos and placed them in his briefcase. His contempt for Director Eason was growing by the minute. Eason was never in the military, he was a damn bureaucrat. The only thing he hated more than Tanner, was his ex-wife. "Just to ease you're concern for secrecy, I'll take Jake Newton with me. That way you can question him about what I did during the meeting." "Now calm down, Garrett. I just don't trust someone outside the agency. You don't know these SEALs, they might talk to someone about it." "I think I'll go now before I say something I might regret, although you should now this. If you ever talk bad about another Special Forces team again, I'll pull your heart out through your ass," Garrett said in a stern voice, then marched out of his office. Naval Special Warfare Group Two, Naval Amphibious Base, Little Creek, Virginia. Adam Dawson flipped through the pages of today's message traffic. Most of them were insignificant messages about small conflicts in far away shit holes. He was glad his team didn't have to deploy for a while. He could use the time to find another medic to replace Don Sharp. He was happy his prized medic received orders to Coronado to be an instructor. The down side to it all was now he had to find another one. The last time he had to replace a team member, he was at it for weeks. The hard work paid off when he found, Kevin Dvorska. What started as the team's point man, soon turned into a strong and unbreakable friendship. All SEALs were a tight knit unit, but the bond between Kevin and Adam was something far beyond that. Adam tossed the messages down on the desk and leaned back in his chair. He thought back to the night he found out about the real, Kevin Dvorska. The night he turned into a large and fierce looking werewolf. Adam silently wondered if he'd ever forget that fateful night. A knock on the door brought Adam back to the present. "Enter." "Hi L-tee, you're the last one on the checkout sheet. I sort of went out of order, but I had to save the best for last," Don Sharp said as he sat down in a chair in front of Adam's desk. "Doc, go blow sunshine up someone else's ass," Adam said with a smile. "I gotta tell you Adam, I sure will miss all you guys. I'm gonna be an instructor thanks to you and the team. I don't think I can ever repay you for that." "When do you have to report to Coronado?" "Not for a couple weeks. I was gonna stop by my parents place in Iowa and visit before reporting." "Good, then you can spare another night here. My last order to you is to report at Jackie's no later than 2000 hrs. I'll round up the team and we'll say farewell the proper way." "Now that sounds like a plan to me L-tee, but will your wife let you go to a strip club?" "I'll have to bribe her, but yeah," Adam replied with a laugh. Adam signed his medic's checkout sheet and sent his friend on his way. After checking his watch, he decided to have a bit of lunch before getting the team together. As he was walking to the duty office, he met up with Kevin Dvorska in the hallway. "Hey Kev, did you have lunch yet?" "Not yet, Adam. Carl, V-man, and I just got done with packing the chutes for next weeks HALO jump." "Well I'm heading off to the O-club for some lunch. Why don't you join me and we can discuss your ideas for a replacement for, Doc Sharp." "That's the best offer I've had all day. I assume you're buying." "Hell no. Kristine only gives me a dollar for lunch." "Fine, but you owe me -- Lieutenant," Second Class Petty Officer Dvorska said. Kevin turned around and followed his team leader towards the exit. When they passed the duty office, Adam ducked in and approached the watch stander. The post was manned twenty-four hours a day, and had access to the whereabouts of any SEAL attached to SEAL Team Two. "Hey Jack, me and Kevin are heading out to the O-club for lunch. Try not to let anyone set fire to the compound." "Aye, aye Sir. Do you need your side arm?" the young SEAL asked. "I doubt it, the food's not that bad," Adam replied with a laugh. ********** The dark blue sedan pulled up to gate three of the amphibious base. When the driver pulled up to the guard shack, a Third Class Petty Officer stepped out and approached the car. Garrett Brown pulled his identification out and showed it to the watch. "Thank you Sir, proceed." "Can you tell me where the SEAL compound is located Sailor." "Yes Sir. Go straight down this road until you hit sand, then turn right. Follow the road until you come up to another gate." "Thanks," Garrett said and then nodded to the saluting watch stander. It took five minutes to navigate the slow, winding road that led to the SEAL compound. When Garrett reached the gate, he realized this was the right place. A large steel fence stretched as far as he could see, along with three guards. Each carried a side arm, and they had covering fields of fire. He knew the SEALs took security seriously, but hell, this wasn't the CIA. "We're in the states for crying out loud, and its peace time. These guys are taking shit way too seriously," Jake Newton said with a shake of his head. "I've only met a few of them when I was in, so take some advice. I wouldn't piss them off right away. They may just shoot you for fun." When he pulled up to the gate, the guard approached slowly. Garrett quickly looked at him, then to the others who watched from a short distance away. Normally the guard would walk up to the driver's window and ask for identification. The SEAL studied the two men, then proceeded to pass them and looked in the back seat. When he stepped back to the window, he looked at them closely. "Good afternoon gentlemen, what can I do for you today?" "We're here to see Lieutenant Adam Dawson." "Can I see your identification please?" the Petty Officer asked. Garrett pulled out his CIA credentials and handed them to him. "Mr. Brown, does your son have any identification?" he said sarcastically. "That's a CIA ID, he's with me on official business, and I wasn't aware of the new Navy rules of being rude to visitors." "Next time I'll be sure to send you a memo. Would you please step out of the car -- Sir?" he said as he stepped back. Garrett and Jake stepped out and shut their doors. Jake studied the two other guards as they moved their hands towards the .45 caliber handguns. His thoughts on how stupid this was vanished when the guard asked for his identification again. After checking the ID, he gave it back to him. "Thank you, Mr. Newton. Mr. Brown, would you mind opening the trunk for me Sir?" Garrett wanted to see how good these SEALs really were. "Not a problem Petty Officer. Here's the key, you can check the whole car," Garrett said as he held out the car keys. "Since you already have them in your hand, would you open it up for me?" Garrett walked back to the trunk and opened it. The guard didn't walk back until the lid was open. Jake never took his eyes off the other two, as his boss dealt with the intrusive inspection. After checking the trunk, he walked back to the driver's door. "Thank you for your assistance Mr. Brown. Please check into the duty office. It's the long white building on the right, just over there." Garrett was surprised when the Third Class Petty Officer failed to salute. The director of the Special Activities Division drove up to the building and parked a few feet away. As the two men approached the duty office, they surveyed the surrounding area. Even though they had good security here, their own training forced them to be cautious. Garrett entered the building first and stepped into the duty office, while Jake Newton stayed just outside in the hallway. When Garrett stood in front of the watch standers desk, he produced his CIA credentials. "Thank you Mr. Brown. What can I do for you?" the Petty Officer asked. "I was hoping to have a chat with Lieutenant Adam Dawson. Is he in today?" "Yes Sir he is, but he went to lunch. You're welcome to wait if you'd like." "Hell no, I need some chow too. Hey Jake, feel like grabbing some chow?" Garrett asked as he looked back at Jake. "Sure, since we seem to have some time," Jake replied with a blank expression. Garrett turned back to the watch stander and smiled brightly at him. "So tell me shipmate, where can a retired Fleet Master Chief get some good Navy chow?" "Well Master Chief, you can eat at the O-club. That's where L-tee went, but if I were you I wouldn't show him that CIA ID." "What's the matter with my credentials?" "Mr. Dawson doesn't like CIA guys too much. It seems their always trying to get him killed." "Thanks for the heads up shipmate," Garrett said with a smile, then walked by Jake and out to the car. Once they were safely inside and out of earshot of others, Jake looked at the director. "I'm confused, why did you tell that kid you were a Fleet Master Chief? You're a thirty year Green Beret veteran." "Because you can get more out of Navy men if they think you're part of the same yacht club." "I never did like Navy guys. The only thing they ever did for me when I was in Force Recon, was give me a ride and then drop me off. I also never thought much of the SEALs as a true elite fighting force," Jake said arrogantly. "What did you do again as a Force Recon Marine?" Garrett asked. "I was a point man, and a damn good one. There wasn't a team anywhere that could catch us. That's how I got into the S.A.D. last year." "Well I'll let you in on a little secret, Jake. Don't turn your back on a SEAL, they'll kill you just for breathing wrong." ********** Adam and Kevin sat at a table off in the corner of the Officers Club. Both men studied the other patrons at the club, as most of them finished up their lunches. They really didn't have to since they were in the confines of the base, but some habits you just can't stop. Kevin, looked up at the server as she brought their drinks over. He smiled politely at her as he leaned back in his chair. "Oh I forgot to tell you, Kevin. I need you to get the team together and have them meet up at Jackie's tonight. We're having a farewell party for Doc," Adam said as he picked up his coffee. "Not a problem, Boss. Are you going to be able to get away from, Kristine? Ever since you two were married, she's had you on a short leash." "You have room to talk. When was the last time you got out at night without, Laura?" Adam countered. "You have a point there. My God, what have we become? We're Navy SEALs for crying out loud." "I'll tell you exactly what we've become -- pussy whipped," Adam told him as they both enjoyed a laugh. Suddenly, Kevin stopped laughing and looked quickly towards the entrance. He saw two well-built men walk in. One of them had a short flat top haircut, with about three quarters of it sprinkled with grey hair. The man following him had long brown hair that covered his ears. As he entered, he too scanned the area but with a more anxious look on his face. "Yeah I tell you Kev, we're really turning out to be a couple of..." Adam's smile faded quickly as he looked over at his point man. When he saw the look on Kevin's face, he knew something was terribly wrong. He had that look anytime danger was very close. One of the most helpful traits of having a werewolf as your point man, was his uncanny senses that alerted the team to threats. "I know that look, Dvorska." "Two men just came in and I doubt very seriously they came in for lunch." When the man with the flat top saw Adam and Kevin, he started to walk over slowly, while his friend followed close behind. As they reached the table, the brown haired man never took his eyes off, Kevin. To his credit, Kevin never blinked. "Afternoon, you wouldn't be Adam Dawson by chance would you?" Garrett asked with a smile. Adam, looked hard at the older man. "I could be Santa Clause in disguise. Who wants to know?" "Oh sorry about that, I'm Garrett Brown and this is Jake Newton. May we sit down?" "My friend Kevin doesn't seem to like you two very much. I trust his senses with my life, so I think you should leave before we make a mess of the Officers Club," Adam replied in a low, stern voice. Garrett Brown, looked over at Kevin and smiled politely. "You must be Kevin Dvorska, point man for SEAL Team Two's Alpha squad. It's a pleasure to meet you," he said as he extended his hand. "Either you're the bravest man in the world, or deaf," Kevin said without taking his eyes off his partner. "I guess I'm the bravest," Garrett replied as he pulled out a chair and sat down. Jake Newton followed his bosses lead and sat down directly across from Kevin. The two of them continued to stare down each other, as the server came over to take their orders. "Hi there Miss. I think we'll start off with a few beers, then go from there. Can I get you two a beer as a sign of peace?" "I don't think so, you won't be here that long," Adam said as the server went off to the bar. "Nice club you guys have here. Does it get very busy on weekends?" "What do you want Mr. Brown, and who do you work for?" "I'm with the agency. I need some help with a problem I'm having," Garrett said as he reached into his briefcase. "I can recommend a good proctologist." Garrett, started laughing at the jab, but he was the only one. "That's a good one. I've heard you SEALs have a great sense of humor." The conversation went quiet when the server came up and placed a beer in front of the S.A.D. men. After handing her a ten, he told her to keep the change and sent her off. Once she was gone, he placed a plan manila folder on the table in front of, Adam Dawson. "Let's get something straight, Mr. Brown. I don't do favors for the CIA." "I understand your attitude. If it means anything to you, neither would I. I did thirty years as a Green Beret before joining the agency. I'm not an Intel guy, I'm more of what you would call a get it done quietly guy." Adam Dawson studied the graying man, then looked over at, Jake Newton. Most of the time Adam had to deal with the CIA, it was with Intelligence Officers. He knew there was another side to the agency, a secret paramilitary group that carried out special operations. "What does the S.A.D. want with me? I thought you guys had the best and brightest working for you." "You and your team were the first on the scene when one of your SEAL fire teams ran into something bad. Do you remember Predjama? Something tore those men to shreds like they were rag dolls." "Yeah I remember. What's that got to do with you?" Adam asked with a puzzled look. Garrett pushed the folder over and took a drink of his beer. "Take a look at these photos and give me your opinion." Adam opened the folder and saw the torn, mangled bodies of four men. When he saw the first picture, he already knew what caused the damage. He continued through the stack quietly, then handed them to, Kevin. Kevin on the other hand, flipped through them quickly then placed them back in the folder. His eyes immediately went to, Jake Newton. "I don't have a clue how four trained spec ops guys were slaughtered," Garrett said quietly. "It could have been a bear or large dogs," Kevin said. "Come on Dvorska, don't patronize me. This wasn't a bear attack," Garrett shot back quickly. "Mr. Brown, we don't know what you're up against. It was the same way with us in Predjama," Adam said to the director. Kevin stared at the young S.A.D. operative. "Maybe your friend here has an opinion on the matter. You see Adam, he has the same unique qualifications and talents that I have." Adam quickly spun his head and glared at Jake. He knew exactly what Kevin was talking about. That's why he kept his eyes on him all the time. "You've got to be kidding me, two fucking werewolves in the Officers Club? This is going to get ugly quick." "Are you sure Kev?" Adam asked. "I'm afraid I am, Sir." Garrett Brown, looked back and forth between them with a puzzled look. "You two haven't let up on one another since we got here. Would you mind telling me what your beef is with my point man." Jake softened his stance a bit and leaned back in his chair. Picking up his bottle, he took a long pull of the cold liquid. "Its okay, Garrett. He's just being a SEAL -- overprotective." Kevin, leaned back in response to Jake's stance. "L-tee, would you mind getting me a beer? Take Mr. Brown here with you, I think we need to have a talk, a kind of point man to point man talk if you know what I mean." "I think I will take you up on that offer for a beer Garrett, as long as you're still buying." "I don't know what the hell is going on here but I can guarantee you, if anything happens, I got a hundred bucks on, Newton." The Pandora Effect Adam looked at Kevin and smiled. "I can cover that," Adam said then left for the bar with Garrett Brown. When they were alone, the two werewolves stared at each other. Jake, continued to drink his beer quietly, while Kevin nursed his water. After a few moments, Jake put his beer down and looked down at the closed folder. "Your Lieutenant knows, doesn't he," Jake said point blank. "Yes, he knows what we are." "I've never met another were, but aren't we supposed to keep our true self hidden?" "It was unavoidable. It was the only way to protect him. Did you kill those men?" Kevin asked with a hint of anger. Jake leaned forward and placed his hands on the table. "Those were my friends. I should ask you the same thing." "No I didn't, I don't do that sort of shit. Although I do know, there are some like us that do. I took one out in Predjama. I assume you saw the photos of Bravo squad." "I have, but unlike you, I keep what I know to be a true secret," Jake said as he leaned back. "Why did you come looking for us? You have the talent to chase this werewolf down and kill it. Why is it even out there doing this? What is he or she after anyway?" "I can't tell you that, and it's not like I can go up to the Director of the Special Activities Division and tell him, oh by the way, your team was taken out by a werewolf like me. Can I track it down and kill him for you?" Jake said sarcastically. Kevin started laughing and tossed his head back. "I don't get it, what's so funny, Dvorska?" "Oh shit -- oh it's -- it's just I remember when Bravo got hit. I had the same dilemma you do. Fucking sucks doesn't it?" Jake smiled and laughed a bit. "Yeah it sort of does. I guess since Mr. Dawson knows about you, it's a little easier huh." "Yeah sometimes, but give it some thought on telling, Brown. He'll freak out at first, but he'll probably calm down once he knows you're on his side." "Christ Dvorska, that's the stupidest thing I've heard all day." Kevin looked over at Adam Dawson and nodded his head. He held up one finger, letting his team leader know he needed a beer. After a few moments, both Adam and Garrett came back and sat down. Kevin took a drink of his beer and set in on the table. "Ok Mr. Brown, what do you need the SEALs to do?" Adam looked at his point man. "First off Kevin, let me offer up my own team if you don't mind. Second, is everything cool with you two?" "Yeah it's fine L-tee. Let's just say we had to dump some hormones to settle down. I think we share the same difficulties you might say." "What the hell are you talking about, Dvorska," Garrett asked. "We both have great bosses Sir," Kevin said then raised his beer to Jake. Jake raised his beer and nodded to Kevin. Suddenly Jake and Kevin broke out laughing loudly as the two other men looked on in disbelief. Adam sort of knew where Kevin was going with this and shook his head. Then he looked at Garrett and smiled. "Has the whole table suddenly lost their minds?" Garrett asked as he looked back and forth at them. "Settle down Garrett, you're taking life way too seriously. How long are you two going to be in town?" Adam asked. "I was planning on heading back tonight, unless you have a better idea." "Do you have any Intel on what your men were doing out there?" "I'm under orders not to discuss it with you. I just want to know a little more of what happened in Predjama." "I wonder if you'd be willing to let my wife and I look at some of the Intel you have. She used to be an Intelligence Operative. She's probably the best the CIA ever had to offer." "Are you insane, Dawson? You know I can't..." "Listen Garrett, you'll have to trust me on this one. You are not going to catch what ever did this without our help. If you want another piece of advice, I think you better put Newton in charge of this op. If my point man trusts him, that's certainly good enough for me." The grey haired ex-Green Beret looked at all three men as they drank their beer and looked back. After thirty years in the Army and another ten in the S.A.D., he'd never seen anything like this. He was conditioned for secrecy and to follow orders. There was no room for taking chances, the stakes were always too high. "Mr. Brown, can I speak freely?" Jake asked politely. "What is it, Jake?" "Sir, I'm not saying to take Mr. Dawson here up on his offer, but we are running out of time on this one. I think it's time we put an end to this one before we can't stop it anymore. Fuck what Mr. Eason says. Lets fucking end this so we can get on with our lives." Garrett Brown, studied the Navy SEAL across from him closely. Adam just sat there with a blank expression. He knew the director had a hard choice. Trust someone outside the group, or continue fighting a losing battle. "I'm so getting fired for this. What time do you want me to show up?" "I'm pretty sure you won't regret this. Kevin, why don't you take Jake here and get the team together for tonight, I'll take Garrett here with me back to the house." "Aye, aye Sir. Jake, I hope you like stripper bars." "I'm a Marine stupid, we live in them." 0300hrs, outskirts of Zernove, Ukraine. The white Volvo van slowed to a stop just outside of the small sleeping city. Bashir Haddad studied the surrounding area carefully. After careful consideration, he picked the town of Zernove to test the deadly virus's effectiveness. The population was just under a thousand, so he was sure they wouldn't be seen at this hour of the morning. "Mansur, when we drive in I want you to put the vial under the tire of a parked car. When that car drives away in the morning, it will smash it." "What happens if it's discovered before the car drives away?" Mansur asked. "That's a chance we'll have to take. I don't want to just leave it in the street where someone would pick it up and throw it away." Bashir, drove the van the rest of the way into town. He noticed a few street lamps on which cast an eerie glow down the deserted streets. When they approached the center of town, he noticed a police car parked on the curb. He knew if it was empty, it was the perfect choice to place the capsule. He drove by the car and looked over. It was empty, so he continued farther down and turned the plain white van around. Just before he reached the empty cruiser, he turned his lights off and carefully pulled to a stop. The three deadly killers carefully surveyed the quiet little town. "It looks safe enough. Mansur, get the mask and gloves on and put one under the rear driver's side tire." Once Mansur had the protective gear on, he opened the small ice chest that held a single vial. Bashir, only brought one deadly capsule with them for the test. He decided it was safer to bury the canisters far out in the countryside. He couldn't risk anyone finding them with the virus and alerting someone to their presence. Mansur, exited the back of the van and slowly approached the police car. After checking the area once more, he placed the capsule directly under the rear tire and walked quickly to the van. After the rear door shut, Bashir drove away but left the headlights off for a few more moments. As they approached the edge of town, Bashir felt the strong stirring in his groin. The kind of stirring he felt as he watched his lovely mate feast on the dead humans. They had been so busy with the planning of the mission, that he never had a chance to quench his lust. Now that the test was underway, the only thing they could do was wait. This was the prime opportunity to get Rashida ready for what was to come when they reached the safe house. About four miles outside of Zernove, Bashir stopped the van and looked towards the rear passenger seat. Mansur, was puzzled why they stopped, but realized it when he saw Bashir looking hungrily at. Rashida Turk. He always looked like that when he wanted her sexually. "Mansur, drive us to the safe house for the night. We'll stay there for a few days to monitor the news of the town. I'm going to sit in the back with my mate. I think she might need my help with something." Bashir, climbed in the back of the van and sat next to his mate, Rashida. She had a smile on her face as he began palming her medium sized breasts. As her head fell back, her brown hair fell back over the seat and her mouth opened in a silent moan. Even though he was the Alpha male, he got pleasure from seeing his mate enjoy herself. There would be enough opportunities to get her pregnant tonight, but for now, some quick enjoyable sex would suffice. Bashir, started slowly unbuttoning her plain dress and exposing the soft flesh to the night air. Rashida, never wore a bra and her small nipples throbbed as they came into the open. Bashir, leaned down and captured one of them between his lips, running his rough tongue across the sensitive flesh. Mansur, could hear Rashida softly moaning, as he glanced in the rearview mirror. While Bashir sucked softly on Rashida's breast, he snaked his large hand down to her panties and found her moist sex. She instinctively spread her legs out, and allowed him access to her. When he found her hooded clit, he gently squeezed it between his fingers. This caused her to shudder slightly and pull Bashir's head harder against her breast. "Oh Bashir, it's been so long since you've touched me," she moaned softly. The Alpha male moved his head up next to her ear. "It's because of the mission. Now that we have the virus, I can attend to the next step. When we return to the safe house, I will take you into the bedroom and mate with you. You will bear me the next generation of the greatest power known to the world." "Yes my love. Our first offspring will be the start of a new world order," she said and then turned to kiss him. As their tongues dueled for dominance, Bashir slowly slid two large fingers deep inside her body. As she felt the walls of her sex open, she cried out against his pressing lips. It had been weeks since he touched her and she was primed for a numbing orgasm. Bashir, began thrusting his digits into his mate as he returned to suckling her. Rashida, wanted to cum quickly so she could return the pleasure she was receiving. While one hand held her mate's lips to her breast, she brought the other up to massage her unattended nipple. Now that both of her agonizing buds were busy with attention, her climax neared the point of explosion. Up in the driver's seat, Mansur reached down and adjusted his own growing member. He knew he was not allowed access to Rashida until she gave birth to Bashir's first child. He began to wonder if Bashir would allow him to take a human for relief. He of course would have to kill her afterwards, but that was a small price to pay. "Oh my love, I'm so close now. Push me over the edge my darling mate," Rashida moaned as she thrust her hips up against his probing hand. Bashir, began biting her nipple as he pistoned his fingers faster. When he did, his mate's lovely face contorted into a pained look as her orgasm took control of her shaking human form. The musky smell of her climax filled the van, as her dress became wet from the fluid seeping out of her body. When Rashida started coming down from the orgasmic high, she reached over and began undoing Bashir's pants. She was startled when he grabbed her hands and pulled them away. She looked into his eyes with a puzzled look as he moved back against the seat. "I don't understand, Bashir? Let me make you feel good also." "We are close enough to the safe house that I can wait. I want the most potent seed planted inside you as your true self. Mansur, make sure you drive the speed limit. We don't want to draw attention to ourselves at this stage of the mission." Mansur, kept his speed just below the limit and continued on. The three werewolves remained quiet for the rest of the ride, although Rashida kept her dress open to keep her mate primed for later. With any luck, by sunrise the first of many baby werewolves would be growing inside her womb. ********** The winged angel looked down through the mist and watched as the white van drove along the highway. He was silently chiding himself for not taking a more active role in the events so far. He was wondering if there was any stopping the three demons from achieving their goals, when Gabriel slowly walked up and stood beside him. "It's getting worse isn't it," Gabriel said. "Yes Sir. She isn't involved, but the three wolves are testing the virus." "We must not get involved. You know the rules." "Forgive me if I seem out of line Sir, but if we are not to get involved what good is it to sit and watch their destruction?" "What would you have me do, ask him to send one of us to help them? Enough has been done through the years to destroy them ten times over. He wants them to find their own way." "I agree Sir, but the fallen one is changing it. She is trying to decide their fate, not him. Please, if he really loves them, let me stop it before it's too late," the winged angel said as he took a knee. Gabriel, put a hand and the troubled angel's head. "I know you feel for them, it is your greatest gift. I will ask again, but I can make no promises. Keep a watch out for them all and I will return shortly," he said, then walked away into the bright light. Hope you enjoyed the story so far. This just sort of sets the scene for the rest of the story. I'll get them out as soon as I can and leave me a comment to let me know what you think.