Guardian
Part III
By Luke Trickett

The team boarded the chopper in silence. After stowing their gear, 
they took their seats. Hunter began the pre-flight checklists, and Otakis 
continued to brief them on the mission. The team exchanged nervous 
glances as he spoke.
“Ok team. We are leaving soon. We will land approximately two 
miles southwest of the operational area. After we de-bus, we will make our 
way to a position designated by me, there we will set up surveillance posts, 
and watch the caverns for activity. I do not foresee any activity in the area 
while the sun is up, but we are going to watch anyway. At nightfall, we will 
split into two teams; Colleen, you and Exile will stay as a rear guard at the 
entrance, while Hunter, Dervish and myself will enter the caves to flush 
them out. If any of them slip past us, you will deal with them as they try to 
leave. As we go through the caverns, we will place the thermite fusion 
blocks at specific locations. These are our fail-safe. Each of them is remote-
linked to a central timer, which will be set for one hour. If we are not 
finished within an hour, we can assume that something has gone… Wrong. 
The timer cannot be altered, so if we are still inside when they go off, we 
will be killed. In short, we will be done in an hour, or we will be dead.”
The team members looked at Otakis with faces full of dread He 
changed the subject.
“I see you have all chosen swords as your bladed weapon. All except 
you, Dervish, What is that you have there?”
Dervish removed a bullwhip from around his shoulder, he uncoiled it 
and took up the business end in one hand. 
“It’s a whip” He answered. “I usually use one, so I just had Alec 
modify it for this mission. The split end is now tipped with three silver-
plated blades. Not quite as effective as a sword or dagger, but it’s what I’m 
used to.”
Otakis smiled sardonically “I like the way you think. Gotta go with 
what you know.”

Hunter started the engine and Otakis took a seat next to him in the 
cockpit as the chopper took off. 
Otakis noticed that Hunter seemed to be looking everywhere but at 
him.
“So what’s your deal?”
Hunter was silent for a moment. Then answered. “I still don’t like 
your plan. So my decision stands. If I choose to, I will abort the mission, and 
return the team to Mission control.”
“As you wish, my master.” Otakis rumbled.

The flight was rather brief, and soon they landed the chopper at the 
designated LZ. As Hunter secured the chopper, the team disembarked, and 
began to get into their gear. Otakis was checking his body armor, when Exile 
approached him.
“Otakis, I am wondering why you are choosing to leave Colleen and 
me at the entrance. Why not taking us with you? We are capable warriors 
too.”
Otakis turned to the big husky and explained. “I am leaving you 
behind as a rear guard because you are the best. I need the best of you as 
backup. If they try to escape, I need to be sure they will not escape.”
“Ah, I am seeing now. We are last resort, so we must be the best. Da.”
Otakis put on his sunglasses and nodded.
“Da, tovarich” 

Otakis sheathed his katana behind his back, and took up his canvas 
carryall. The rest of the team finished their preparations, and together they 
set off towards the vampire’s lair.

As they walked, Otakis approached Colleen, who walked alone. She 
seemed to not see him approach.
“You do not trust me, do you?”
Colleen sighed, as if trying to contain her wrath. “No, I don’t.”
“And why is that?” Otakis asked. “Shepherd told you not to, didn’t 
he?”
“He told us enough. He told us how you almost got Charisma and 
Kickflip killed! How you stole hundreds of dollars worth of supplies when 
you left. Yes, he told us about what kinda bloke you are.”
Otakis snarled, bearing his teeth. “When we get done here. I am going 
to have a little meeting of the minds with Shepherd. It will not be pretty.”
He let the threat hang in the air, and walked away.

Within an hour, they reached a boulder-strewn plain across from the 
caverns. Otakis sent each of the Rovers to a separate position, and ordered 
them to wait. Watching the cave and keeping in touch by radio. The team 
split up, and Otakis settled down into a space between two rock outcrops, 
took out a pair of small folding binoculars from his pack, and began to watch 
the cave.
The team commenced radio checks. Unusually, for this mission, the 
team members used their actual names as callsigns.

“Strike team, this is Hunter, requesting radio check. Over.”
“Copy that Hunter, this is Colleen, reading you loud and clear. Over”
“Hunter, this is Dervish, all clear on my frequency.”
“Exile here, coming in Lima-Charlie.”
“Otakis. Copy that.”

The wind blew, keeping the team cool in their positions despite the 
sun. All eyes trained on the cavern. For hours they waited, in intense 
boredom. Until the sun sank in the sky, becoming a small orange blister on 
the horizon. Then Otakis broke radio silence.
“Strike team, This is Otakis, Prepare to deploy.”
The Rovers each crawled out of their hiding places, and crept to 
where Otakis lay. In the failing light they crouched, and waited until the sun 
had set.
“Ok guys, this is where the fun starts. Hunter, Dervish, you are with 
me. Colleen, you and Exile take up positions in the lee of those rocks by the 
entrance. We go in now.”

Using the larger rocks as cover, they moved to the mouth of the cave. 
Colleen took cover behind the left boulder, and Exile went right.
“Switch to infra-red.” Otakis whispered. Hunter and Dervish donned 
their goggles, and covered the cave while Otakis put on his. 

The mouth of the cave loomed black and foreboding as they moved 
inside, Their sensitive canine ears pricked up, listening for any sound from 
within. The soft crunching of their boots on the floor was the only sound as 
they moved inside, weapons at the ready.
A whispering ‘aah’ broke the still air, and Dervish’s finger tightened 
on the trigger of his shotgun. Still they crept along. A few dozen yards into 
the cave, Otakis whispered into the mouthpiece of his radio headset:
“Hunter, check your ten.”
Hunter looked, there in a shadowed niche in the cavern wall, 
something crouched, watching them with luminous red eyes. It settled down 
into the darkness and hunter brought his shotgun to bear.
The crouching figure leapt at him, hissing and spitting!
Almost without thinking, Hunter squeezed the trigger. The Mossberg 
roared, sending a wall of silver shot towards the vampire. It was stopped in 
mid-flight, and fell to the ground, groaning. Hunter looked at the raw, red 
mess of the things chest, and gaped. As he did, the thing jumped to its feet 
and slashed at him with its claws. They scraped across his chestplate, and 
Hunter fell backwards. The strength of the thing was unbelievable! It 
advanced, preparing to strike again.
A high-pitched whistle from Otakis caught its attention, and it turned 
to look at him. The bowstring on Otakis’ crossbow thrummed, sending a 
three-eighths thick hardwood bolt through the air, and into the things chest. 
It clutched at the flights of the bolt with useless fingers as it fell back to the 
ground. Otakis kicked it aside, and pulled Hunter to his feet.
“There. He who hesitates is chipped and shredded!” He growled. 
“You have to be quicker!”
Dervish let out a yelp:
“There they are! On my three!”
Otakis and Hunter looked, sure enough, three more of them stood, like 
silent sentinels, watching their actions. Dervish aimed his crossbow, and 
shot at one of them. The bolt disappeared into the gloom, and the three heard 
the thud of it hitting its target. There was a groan and one of the vampires 
staggered into view, the bolt through its shoulder. It lurched at Dervish, who 
sidestepped the things advance and pulled his whip from his shoulder. The 
other two charged, and Hunter and Otakis found themselves facing them. 
Dervish’s whip snapped at the legs of the wounded vampire, wrapping 
around them as it ran at him again. He put another bolt through the thing’s 
chest as it squirmed on the floor, finishing it. Otakis’ shotgun coughed, 
hitting the second in the arm and reducing it to a raw pulp. It came at him 
still! Dropping the gun Otakis swung his right leg around in a sweep kick, 
knocking the thing to the floor, before it could react, he pulled a stake from 
his leg pack and nailed the vampire to the floor.
Hunter avoided the punch the third vampire aimed at him, and seized 
its arm at the elbow. He delivered three quick blows to the vampires ribs, 
and released it. Aiming his Mossberg again, Hunter shot it in the back as it 
staggered away, it fell to the ground and was quickly pinned there by 
another crossbow bolt from Dervish.
“It’s a good bet they know we’re here!” Hunter growled, gathering his 
wits.
“They know!” Otakis answered, picking up his gun and slinging it 
behind his back. Dervish retrieved his whip from the ankles of his victim, 
and recoiled it around his shoulder. Together, Otakis and Hunter gathered 
the bodies together and place the first of the thermite blocks by them while 
Dervish stood guard.
“How many more of them are there?” He asked when they were done.
“I can’t say, Probably a lot” Otakis husked, pulling his sword and 
facing the darkness of the cave.    
   
Outside the cave, Colleen and Exile heard the commotion, Across the 
darkness, they exchanged glances.
“Well” Exile shrugged “It appears they have been made.”
“Once again, It’s on.” Colleen answered.

Inside the cave, the three could hear clear noises from ahead. Low, 
hushed sniffing and the occasional growl. The passageway widened a little, 
becoming maybe twenty feet across. They spread out, and continued down 
the strange hall of naked rock. Suddenly, Otakis stopped.
“What’s wrong?” hunter asked in a hushed voice.
“We have miscalculated our enemies strength. There are a lot more of 
them than I thought.” Otakis Dropped to one knee and opened the large 
holdall.
“Looks like its time to let old painless out of the bag…”
Otakis removed a few items from the bag and handed one to Dervish 
and one to Hunter.
“What is this?” Dervish hefted the strange weapon in his free hand.
“It’s a flame thrower. A compact military model designed for one 
person to use. Turn the dial on the left side and squeeze the trigger.”
Dervish did so, and the flame-thrower’s pilot light ignited. He slung 
the shotgun behind his back, and covered the passageway with the nozzle of 
the flamer.
“Now, don’t pull that trigger unless you mean it!” Otakis cautioned.
Hunter studied the weapon that Otakis had handed him.
“This aint no flame thrower.” He whispered.
“No, its not. It’s your standard submachine gun, firing steel-core, 
silver hollow-points.”
Hunter stowed his shotgun in the holdall and prepared to move on. As 
they moved in, Dervish caught a fleeting glimpse of something moving 
ahead.
“I got movement ahead.”
They picked up the pace, and soon came out into a large cavern, some 
thirty feet across, and maybe twenty high. From a small archway across the 
room, came the vampires. At least a dozen of them, terrible, flame-eyed 
demons that spat and hissed at them as they spread along the walls of the 
cavern.
“Otakis! What are we gonna do?” Dervish asked in a hushed whisper.
“KILL ‘EM ALL!” Otakis roared, charging towards the center of the 
room. He leapt into the air, flipping over the heads of two of the vampires, 
and landing firmly on his feet. 
“Ok!” he whispered to the vampires as they crept towards him. “Who 
wants some? Who wants to get a little?”
One of them attacked him from behind and Otakis spun around, 
bringing his sword in a flashing arc that separated the creature’s head neatly 
from its body. A second vampire leapt at him, and his sword continued its 
course through the thing’s abdomen. Otakis elbowed it in the head, and it 
staggered away. Meanwhile, a few others had turned their attentions to 
Hunter and Dervish. Two of them charged Hunter, who backed off a pace or 
two, bringing the SMG to bear on his assailants. The SMG chattered loudly 
in Hunters hands, hurling a spray of bullets at the vampires. One of them fell 
to the ground with half of his head blown away, while the other came still. 
Hunter snatched at his crossbow, where it hung at his side, and quickly put a 
bolt through its chest. He turned to Dervish, who was being faced down by 
three of them. As he looked, Dervish let fly with the flamer, sending a 
searing gout of flame towards the three vampires. Clothing and hair ignited 
in the intense heat, and the vampires reeled away like living firebrands. 
Hunter put a bolt in each of them as they collapsed.
Otakis’ sword flashed silver in the firelight, separating another 
vampires head from its trunk. He swung low, removing ones leg and quickly 
pinned it with a stake from his leg pouch. An orange blur shot through the 
air and Dervish landed next to him. 
“Having a vampire problem?”
“Aww, can it!”
Together they attacked the rest of the crowd, and soon the air was 
filled with the cries of the wounded and the chatter of machinegun fire. A 
few slipped by them, and Hunter called over the radio:
“Colleen, Exile, got some strays heading your way!”

Outside, Exile stared intently at the cave entrance. Within a minute, 
three of the vampires emerged. Exile leapt out from his hiding place and 
grunted:
“Alright everybody: Chill!”
 The darkness was lit briefly by the intense blue light of Exiles 
freezing blast. Three neat ice-statues stood in place of the vampires and 
Exile grinned. Colleen fired at the statues, reducing them to small frozen 
pieces.
“Well that was easy!” she said, smiling.

Inside the cave Otakis, Hunter and Dervish surveyed the remains of 
the vampires. Hunter placed more of the thermite blocks around the room, 
and then turned to Otakis.
“Is that it?”
“I doubt it.”

Something moved in the shadowed corner of the room. Through the 
infrared goggles, Otakis watched it disappear out of the room like an 
animated shadow. He looked to Dervish, who stood watching hunter placing 
the thermite blocks. 
“I am going after that one. You two keep on going. I will be in contact 
through radio.”
Dervish turned to see the Otakis’ trenchcoat disappear out of the 
room.
“Huh? Wassat?”
“What’s going on?” Hunter asked, looking up.
“I dunno, He said something about going after one, and keeping in 
touch.”
Hunter frowned. “I guess we just keep going. Oh well, he knows what 
he’s doing I suppose.”

They gathered their equipment and headed out of the cavern, moving 
down a long, rough-hewn passageway. Despite their sensitive ears, they 
heard no further sounds for a long time. On and on they walked, going 
deeper into the roots of the mountain. Until the gloom almost threatened to 
envelop them. With no sources of light or heat, the infrared goggles were 
useless here. There was no infrared radiation for them to pick up. Hunter 
stopped and called for Dervish to do so too. 
“What’s going on?” he asked
“I’m gonna lose these goggles. They don’t work here.”
They removed the goggles and hunter reached into a utility pouch. He 
took out two flashlights, small pen-size models. He switched on one, and 
handed the other to Dervish. He activated it, and gripped it in his mouth as 
they continued on their way. A static-charged voice in their ears caused them 
both to jump. It was Otakis, on the radio. His transmission was badly broken 
up, due to the dense rock of the caverns.
“Hunter, it’s me. I’ve lost the scumbag I was trailing…Think…Light   
Ahead… Maybe a nest…Will stay in touch….”

“Hello? Otakis! Hello? Damn. Lost him!” Hunter shook his head. “I 
got a bad feeling about this.”

They carried on down the passage, each of them trying to ignore the 
gnawing concern and fear that they felt inside. They both were beginning to 
wish they’d never came on the mission. Suddenly, Dervish stopped.
“Shh! Can you hear that?”
“Hear what?” Hunter strained his hearing, trying to listen for any 
sound.
“Water! I hear running water!”
Sure enough, there it was. An occasional splash and gurgle of water. 
Maybe an underground stream or spring? Hunter nodded, and they headed 
on towards its source. Hunter took the lead, shining his flashlight ahead and 
keeping the SMG trained to the lit area. As he approached the source of the 
noise, he heard a low whine, almost a sob. To his surprise, the passage ended 
and there at its end was a small pool, fed by a spring that issued from the 
rock wall. At the edge of the pool crouched a small girl. Grimy and very 
scared. She stared at Hunter with large, fear-filled eyes. He lowered the 
SMG, and turned to Dervish.
“It’s a kid! A little girl! And the passageway ends here!”
Hunter turned back to the pool, just in time to see the child’s innocent, 
fearful face transform to that of a thing possessed! She growled like some 
great beast, and Hunter saw that in her hand, she carried a large meat 
cleaver! As she charged at Hunter with the cleaver held high, he lifted the 
crossbow from his side and shot her. Despite the bolt, she came still!
“God! Oh God!” Hunter screamed as she prepared to strike.

Dervish shouldered Hunter aside and squeezed the trigger on the 
flame-thrower, turning the pool into a searing, steaming inferno. After long 
moments, he released the trigger, and stared at the result.

Hunter reeled away from Dervish, dropping the SMG. He crashed into 
darkness, as he fell, something pulled the silver short sword from its 
scabbard at his side. He looked to around for his flashlight. After locating it, 
he looked around for Dervish. He caught a brief glimpse of him standing 
there, lit by the light from the flame throwers pilot light, then something 
stabbed at him with the sword. Hunter saw the flash of silver in the firelight, 
and rolled to one side. The point of the sword cut through the side of 
Hunters left bicep and he shrieked.

Hearing Hunters scream, Dervish turned and saw the vampire holding 
the sword, preparing to deliver the final blow. In an instant, Dervish dived 
forwards onto the SMG where it lay on the sandy floor of the passage. He 
rolled forwards, leaping to his feet behind Hunter and bringing the SMG and 
flamer to bear on the vampires snarling visage. Pulling both triggers 
simultaneously, dervish drove the creature back and away from him, but still 
advanced, hosing the vampire with liquid fire and scything silver as he 
moved towards it. Rounds ricocheted from the passage walls as he closed on 
the creature, some of which hit his armored chestplate. Dervish advanced 
undaunted. 

“I think you got him.” Hunter croaked from behind.
Dervish looked at the mess, which had been the vampire. Then turned 
back to Hunter. He was bleeding badly from the gash in his arm, but would 
make it. Tearing some rudimentary dressings from Hunters blue bodysuit, 
Dervish bandaged the wound, then helped Hunter to his feet.

                                 *                   *                   *

Otakis sniffed the air, checking for the scent of the vampire he was 
tailing. Nothing. No scent save the musty dampness of the caverns. He 
growled a little and continued into the gloom, heading towards the dim light 
ahead. 
‘This sucks’ he thought, shaking his head. ‘I can’t believe that I 
dragged Shepherds cronies into this with me. I should have just done this by 
myself and made good on it. Hunter didn’t need to know. What a dumba** I 
am!’    

As he stood, lost in his own thoughts, Otakis was hit in the back by 
something hard. He staggered forwards, and hit his head on the rocky wall of 
the passage. As he passed out, Otakis fancied he heard laughter…

“Nearly there buddy!” Dervish panted to Hunter as they approached 
the mouth of the cave. They could see starlight outside and Dervish could 
smell Exile and Colleen. Hunter had lost a lot of blood, and was very weak. 
He sagged on Dervish’s shoulder and walked with staggering, stumbling 
paces. 
“Nearly there.”

“Yet so far!” A clotted, gurgling voice crooned from the shadows. 
Dervish turned to see the source of the voice, and was hit in the face with 
what felt like a rock.  Swearing he heard something go ‘crunch’ in his head, 
and tasting blood, Dervish released Hunter and looked around for the 
attacker.
“Hunter, get out. I’ll take this one!”
Hunter hastened to obey. His legs felt like lead, and every step 
required a Herculean effort. Dervish did not see him collapse into a niche in 
the wall, barely three paces from where Exile was hiding.
“All right funny guy!” Dervish shouted. “Where you at? Huh? I can’t 
see ya! Why don’t you poke your head out?” He turned in a slow circle, 
pointing the flamer in front of him as he did. “Alright, maybe I can flush you 
out!” He growled, pulling the trigger, and watched the shaft of fire shoot into 
the darkness. He waved the flame this way and that, scorching the walls of 
the cave. Soon he was rewarded with the high-pitched yelp of the vampire, 
which leapt out from cover, torched down his right side. He ran this way and 
that, beating at the flames. Dervish grinned at the vampire’s antics, then 
jumped as something blue flashed overhead and struck the vampire in the 
back, quickly surrounding it in super-dense ice which quickly shattered due 
to the differences in temperature. 
“Aww, Exile! Whatcha do that for? That was funny!” Dervish 
scowled at the Russian. 
“We have not got times for the games!” Exile barked. “Come! We are 
running out of time! There is only five minutes left until detonation of 
thermite blocks!” He grabbed Dervish by the collar and stomped out of the 
cave.   
“Oh. Ok” Dervish mumbled reluctantly. As they left the caves, he 
turned to Colleen in her hiding place. 
“Where’s Hunter? Did you see to his arm?”
Colleen frowned. “I thought he was with you.” 
Dervish shook his head. “I sent him out just a moment ago. Exile, 
where is he?”
“I thought he was with her! I heard you tell him to leave…”
The three looked at each other. Then the realization dawned on them.
“I’m going in for him!” Colleen yelled, running into the cave.
“Colleen! Wait!” Dervish started after her, but was grabbed by Exile, 
who held him fast.
“She will be fine. Her and Hunter are having the luck.”
“No Dammit!” Dervish shouted. “They’ve got less than six minutes. 
We’ve gotta go in there and find them!”
Exiles eyes flashed as he pulled Dervish close and growled:
“NO!”

As they argued, none of them saw Hunter stagger out from his niche 
in the rock and wander out of the cave. He stumbled forwards and collapsed 
at their feet. Exile put Dervish down and they looked at Hunter blankly. A 
moment passed before they reacted.
“Hunter! You’re here!” they cried simultaneously. Exile picked hunter 
up and carried him to a rock, where he laid him. Hunter opened his eyes, and 
saw the two leaning over him.
“Exile, Dervish” he croaked. “Where’s Colleen?”
“She went in after you!” Exile moaned. 

                          *                        *                        *

Otakis woke up in the gloom of the cave, with a large bruise on his 
head and a highly toxic taste in his mouth. 
‘Ah, what a horrible nightmare!’ He thought ‘Wait a minute… Oh 
God!
 I CAN’T MOVE!’

He was tied up! Bound to a stone column in the center of the room by 
his wrists. Directly in front of him, was all his equipment. Including the 
fusion blocks, which had had their detonators removed. A single vampire 
was seated on a block of stone opposite him, watching his movements.
“Welcome back on line!” It said, almost cheerfully. “You nearly 
succeeded here Otakis, nearly got us all. Actually, I’m pretty proud of you. 
You’re quite a legend to us nightstalkers, you know. Yeah. The ‘invincible 
dog-man’, with the funky, high tech gadgets and the weapons. You know, In 
Mexico, they say you have the evil eye! That you can kill a vampire just by 
looking at him! That’s quite a reputation, but really you’re just a wannabe. A 
fake. Actually, you’d make a good vamp, that’s why I am gonna start 
rebuilding my family with you. Yeah, you’re gonna become one of us. But 
first, I’m gonna have a little fun with you!”
Behind the column, Otakis pulled back the glove covering his bionic 
arm, and grasped the metal with his real hand.
The vampire picked up Otakis’ crossbow and pointed it nonchalantly 
at Otakis. “You ever been shot with one of these things?” He asked “Hurts. 
Hurts a lot actually. Here, try some!” he pulled the trigger and the bolt flew 
across the cavern, pinning Otakis through the shoulder to the column. A hiss 
of agony escaped from Otakis’ muzzle as the vampire put the crossbow 
down and strode towards him.
“Does it hurt as bad as having your arm cut off?” He grinned. “Oh 
yeah, how is your arm? That bionic replacement working out is it?”
Otakis twisted his bionic arm, releasing it from the quick-release 
connectors on the flesh and blood part.
“Yeah!” Otakis growled at the vampire “works just fine! You know 
why?”
“Why is that?” the vampire answered, with fake curiosity.
“Because it’s detachable!” Otakis brought his hands into view, with 
the real hand clutching the bionic one by the wrist. He clicked it back into 
place and flexed it open, inch-long silver blades sprang out from the tips of 
the fingers, and he slashed through the rope tying his wrists together.
The vampire jumped at him, but Otakis drove the claw up and into the 
creature’s chest at the sternum lifting him up off his feet. Gagging and 
coughing, the vampire clubbed Otakis on the bruised part of his head with an 
iron-hard fist. Otakis collapsed and the vampire wasted no time in running 
out into the passages of the caverns. Climbing groggily to his feet, Otakis 
picked up his shotgun and ran after the vampire.

Colleen jogged through the darkness of the cave, calling Hunters 
name every so often. Nothing came back to her save the echo of her own 
voice. She felt the strange chill of the caverns, and shivered. ‘This place is a 
tomb!’ she thought. ‘Maybe Hunter made it out after all. I might have missed 
him. Plus there’s only three minutes until the bombs go off. I’d better turn 
back’
She turned, and felt her way along the wall, then she began to jog 
again. Slowly, cautiously she made her way back towards the entrance. For 
long minutes she jogged, hoping to see the light of the stars again. Nothing. 
She felt despair creep over her like a black fog, threatening to overwhelm 
her. Then she heard a noise. A shuffling sound in the gloom ahead. Hunter?
“Hunty?” she whispered “Hunter? Is that you?”
“No! Not Hunter! Not here!” came the response, dark and grating, yet 
grinding and sepulchral as the bells of hell!
Colleen gasped, and from out of the shadows flowed a figure. Moving 
like quicksilver, it grabbed her shotgun from her hands and clubbed her in 
the face with it. She fell, sprawling on the dirt floor and looked up at her 
attacker. Twin red lamps burned in the face of the vampire, and in the dim 
light from her flashlight she saw the red mess on his shirt. Where had that 
blood come from? Hunter? The vampire laughed as she crawled away from 
him, shaking her head.
“Perhaps I will get to take one of you after all!” He chortled, driving 
Colleen against the cavern wall.
“Don’t bet on it!” Came a familiar voice from nearby. Otakis!
There was a click of a weapon being taken off safe, and the vampire’s 
eyes converged on the barrel of the shotgun as Otakis shoved it into its face 
just below the nose.
“Buckle up, bitch!”
Otakis pulled the trigger.
                                    *                      *                     *

Outside, Exile and Hunter argued while Dervish tried to calm them 
down.
“You can’t go in, comrade! The thermite detonates in thirty seconds!”
“And you can’t tell me what I can and can’t do! I am NOT losing any 
of my team in there! We will find them! I am the leader, so I say get your 
gear, we are going in!”
Exile scowled at hunter where he sat on the rock, clutching his 
bandaged arm. “Hunter, you are relieved of command!” he barked.
“Hunter chill out!” dervish cut in. “There are plenty of places to hide 
in there! They will be fine”
“You don’t get it do you? Thermite is not normal incendiary 
explosive! You cannot hide from it!” Exile snapped at Dervish.
“Whaddya mean ‘relieved of command’? You can’t do that! When the 
Master hears about this, you’re gonna…”
Hunter’s frenzied yelling was cut off by the muffled ‘crump’ of 
explosions from within the cave. The ground shook slightly and soon a 
scorching gout of flame shot out from the mouth of the cave. Causing them 
to duck behind cover. When they looked back, the floor, and walls of he 
cave were burning as though soaked in gasoline. 

Hunter hung his head. And Exile began to cry.
“Aww maaan…” Dervish sighed.

They sat there in near silence for a few moments, each of them 
contemplating life without their colleagues. No one said a word. They 
simply stared at the inferno within the cave. The flickering fire seemed 
almost peaceful. Dervish continued to watch the flames while Hunter and 
Exile wept.
Something moved inside the cave, deep within the hellish fire! Two 
figures that grew larger as they moved forwards.
“What the fu…? Guys! What is that?” Dervish called to Hunter and 
Exile. They looked. Sure enough, two people emerged from the fire. Otakis, 
and Colleen. Both a little scorched, but physically undamaged. They moved 
out through the knee-high flames and stood outside the cave. Otakis popped 
his neck and looked about.
“Why are you crying?”
Hunter’s jaw dropped in disbelief. “How could you survive that?”
Otakis grinned. “A magician never tells, Hunter!”
Colleen began to adjust her hair. “Blimey! Do you have any idea how 
long it takes me to shampoo and condition all of this?” She grabbed her tail 
and started to brush the sand out of it.
“Colleen, how did you do it?” Hunter asked. 
“I don’t know…” Colleen answered with a dreamy look in her eyes.
Later, at the chopper, Hunter and Colleen found Otakis sitting on a 
rock, watching the sunrise. They approached him, and he snapped out of his 
trance. “What do you need?” He asked.
“I see your kit isn’t on the chopper. You’re not coming back with us, 
are you?” Hunter raised an eyebrow.
“No.”
“I thought you said you needed to talk to the Master?” Colleen was 
quiet.
“No, I can’t go back. I don’t belong there. But if you ever need a 
guardian, I will be there for you.” Otakis picked up his bags and walked 
away from them, towards the sunset.
As the chopper took off, Hunter looked at the ground for Otakis. 
Maybe he saw him, just a flash of his black leather duster disappearing 
behind a rock. Nothing more. It reminded Hunter of the Lone Ranger re-runs 
he used to see on TV. ‘Who was that masked man…?’