Chapter Two: Useless

“She’ll be here,” Sean promised, more for himself then the apparently unruffled Xavier. The fact was he really did not know if Zara planed on returning at all. He did not know what had occurred the previous night, but the little he had gotten out of Xavier left him with the distinct impression that she was not exactly pleased with either of them. He really did not want to go without her though. Not for something like this.

Xavier shrugged and punched the channel button on the remote as he had been doing since getting up over an hour and a half ago. Sean had already picked up all the weapons and was now pacing the length of the rather small living room, trying to decide if they could afford to wait any longer. It was her plan. Her idea. All of it, her baby. However, if she was right - and Sean thought she probably was - then there could be many obstacles that not even his weapons could remove. Obstacles that would waste their quite limited time. While he knew he could tolerate the dawn long enough to get back to the apartment, he didn’t know that Xavier could. Every moment they waited increased the risk. Sean may have liked or trusted Xavier but he wasn’t too keen on risking the man’s destruction. Not unless he tried something stupid.

“She’ll be here.”

“Whatever. Think you could cut out the angst-filled pacing? It’s annoying,” Xavier said in a voice that sounded nothing if not bored. Sean scowled and continued for another ten minutes.

“Dammit.”

“You done yet?” Xavier asked in the exact same tone. Sean’s snarl grew a bit nastier.

“We’re going. She’s probably waiting to meet us there.” He paused a moment, making a great show of looking Xavier up and down before pointing to the small arsenal scattered across the coffee table. “You sure you can handle these? They aren’t toys. At least, not all of them.” He smiled challengingly as he began quietly equipping himself. Xavier didn’t even blink. Moving slowly, as if through water, the man set the remote on the table and picked up the Smith and Wesson auto next to it. With what Sean had to admit was great skill; he removed the ammo cartridge and checked it, then slid it back in, cocking it for just a moment. He operated it expertly. He looked up at Sean with a raised eyebrow.

“Guess I can. Or do we need to compare penis sizes too?” Sean shook his head, anger flashing across his face. Instead of replying, he finished packing on his own choices, as well as two spare Glocks. Zara’s favorite. For when they met up with her. He did this with all the speed and confidence of one whom had done so hundreds of times before. He noted with a certain degree of satisfaction that Xavier seemed to be quite surprised.

“Irish accent, secret codes, and the access to and skill with this kind of weaponry? What are you dude? IRA?”

“Something like that. Grab whatever you want and let’s go. We’ve wasted enough time for the night.” Xavier tucked the Smith and Wesson into the belt of his pants. He paused a moment, looking over the other options Sean had provided, then shrugged again and stood up. Despite his own misgivings, Sean said nothing.

Zara stretched and slid out of the church bench, grabbing her stuff as she went. She looked around the empty building, once again noticing the chipping paint and ruined pews. Anyone could see that this parish was in poor shape. No doubt, if things did not improve for them, services would be held in school gyms instead of the building that had so clearly been beautiful at one time. Even the stained glass windows were not spared from the impoverishment, with two of the four smashed and taped up. She wondered that they had survived this long. It was enough to spur Zara’s sympathies, without having received the kindness of its lone priest the night before, when she had stumbled in an hour before dawn.

She had caught him in the very beginning of his morning chores. He had not asked questions when she asked for a place to spend the day; had even offered his room in the connected shack of a house. She had wanted to refuse, but knew she couldn’t risk someone stumbling across her while she slept. She knew from experience just how dead her kind looked while asleep. Therefore, with the father’s promise that he would not disturb her for anything, she had collapsed in his bed and slept through the afternoon. Waking just before sunset, she had returned to the church itself. There, she had spent several hours in deep conversation with the man - Father Scott Rashad. He struck her as surprisingly wise and tolerant. Moreover, he still had not asked who she was or why she had needed his assistance. He had only retired half an hour ago, leaving Zara to contemplate her situation.

She was determined to return the kindness he had shown her tenfold. At least. She would call her personal banker as soon as she got the chance with instructions to ‘take care’ of the church. To give them anything and everything they might need. Money was not an issue for her. Never had been. Therefore, she would spend it to make sure that this parish was never again in danger of being lost. It was, after all, the very least she could do.

However, the church and Father Scott were not the most important things on her mind now. She had allowed herself to lose track of time in the peace that this building brought to her. Sean and Xavier would have already moved on the plan. If she didn’t move quickly, she would miss the attack against the people who had put Xavier through what Zara could only classify as torture. Now way was she going to be left out of that.

She took great care in shutting the door, doing the best she could to make it appear locked. She felt a twinge of guilt at that. This was not a good neighborhood to be left with at least that protection. Not even for a church. She had some inkling of a hope that her contribution to the parish would help turn the area around... First, it had to get through the night without getting used as some kid’s idea of a good time. There was nothing more she could do though. And she could spare no more time worrying about it.

Slinging the garbage bag over her shoulder, Zara ran as fast as she could back to Sean’s. It felt really good to run flat out, to really revel in her power. She hadn’t done so since Gabriel had first come into her life. Sticking mainly to the rooftops so as to avoid being noticed as a streaking blur by the people still awake down on the streets, she made it back in very little time at all.

The apartment should have been empty. By the time she reached the roof of the building, she knew that Sean and Xavier were gone. Not far. She could still smell them in the area and would have been able to catch up to them in minutes. Nevertheless, she could smell an odd presence in the complex. One she thought seemed familiar, but that she could not place. That, more then the smell itself was disturbing, as Zara’s memory had been just shy of perfect since she had been turned.

Moving slowly now, she progressed down each floor, keeping track of the direction of the strange metallic scent. It wasn’t until she was actually on Sean’s floor that she knew without a doubt it was coming from the apartment she had been heading for. By this time, she could also hear the unmistakable sound of someone moving around behind the door. Dropping her bag quietly next to the stairwell entrance, she crept forward, right past her door. Once she had reached the neighboring apartment, she grabbed the doorknob and twisted, not bothering to hold back her strength as she usually did. She was in luck. The man - who had been out of town for several days now - had not remembered to lock the deadbolt. With a quick cry of protest that was muffled quite effectively by the walls, the door swung open.

The layout was identical to Sean’s. Another stroke of luck. It meant she would not have to search the rooms for the window she wanted. Heading directly for the bathroom, she pried the small window open and slipped through. It was a tight fit, to be sure. She made it though. As she had known she would. Clinging to the sash to keep from plummeting to the street still several stories down, she began rocking her body from side to side with her already straining arms. Each time she passed, her legs stretched out a little further until, finally, she was able to catch the small ledge that ran between apartments and ended just before each window with her left foot.

Releasing the sash the second she was sure her foot was secure, she swung her body around so that she was facing the night and her back was planted firmly against the cold brick. Her right foot landed a shoulders-length away, as she had planned. She didn’t even waver in her balance. Inch by inch, she scooted along the ledge until she was able to reach the next sash with her right hand. Moving quickly, she pressed her palm against the glass and shoved upwards, offering up a quick prayer of thanks to Sean and his obsessive need to keep all window hinges well oiled. She made a mental note to apologize to him later for all the times she had teased him about his insistence that ‘one never knew when a quick and silent exit or entrance is necessary.’ Sometimes having an anal retentive, paranoid, ex military man for a roommate really paid off.

Taking a deep breath, she gripped the sash of the now empty window tightly, and then flipped her body around once more. She grabbed the sill with her left had quickly but it took her a bit longer to recover mentally. Though she had always known she could perform such feats, this was the first time she had actually tested it. Launching herself into the bathroom was easy though. She even managed to do it without making a noise. Thank Sean again, for never putting anything directly below the window.

The darkness of the apartment did not slow her down at all. She knew every floorboard in this apartment. More over, her eyesight was even better then that of a cat’s. She could have drawn out every detail of every room with perfect accuracy. So, it appeared, could the intruder. Standing in the center of the living room, facing the front door, he had on what was either night vision or infrared goggles. She cringed to herself. It figured.

It was most defiantly a human male. The mechanical scent was all over him though. She still could not place it, and she was certain she didn’t recognize anything else about the man who stood about a foot taller then her 5’3. He was a large man. Very reminiscent of Gabriel’s bulk. Not an ounce wasted, all of the massive body pure muscle. The kind of man, Zara decided, she liked the least. He held himself the way only a solider would, and his hair was most defiantly the crew cut that was so popular amongst most military types. Yet her instinct told her that he had nothing to do with any sort of government. Perhaps it was that smell...

She had slinked up close enough to grab him now. He hadn’t detected a thing of her presence, and he would not until it was too late. For she was using all the skills that were so vital to any hunter now.

Zara’s cold hand slid around his neck, her fingernails resting ever so gently on his Adams apple. Part of her thrilled at the warmth of his skin, the pulse throbbing just beneath her palm. It would be such an easy thing to kill him. As simple as squeezing.

It took Zara several moments to get her predatory nature under control. Everything about him - from the sound of his breathing to the scent of sweat that coursed underneath that odd smell - made her mouth water. She had not fed in several nights, and with prey so clearly in her hands, it was all she could do to remember that she wanted to interrogate the man more then she wanted to bleed him dry.

“Bad move, private.” She murmured, her lips mere inches from his right ear.

“That’s Sergeant,” his deep southern voice responded calmly. It was then Zara realized something that should have been clear to her from the beginning. The man’s pulse had not sped up at her touch. There was no sweat beneath her palm. The smell that had triggered her hunger was not a new one; not produced by his fear. She could detect no signs of distress at all. It was inconceivable, but now she had no doubt. He was not afraid of her! She hissed through her teeth, tightening her grip on him slightly. Aside from the slight hitch in his breathing that she knew came only because of the challenge she was making it, there was no reaction.

“All right then... Sergeant,” she sneered, “Have any idea how stupid this little stunt of yours is? I hope the impression you were trying for was worth the price that you’re about to pay.”

“This is not my idea of a stunt. Nor was I trying to ‘impress’ anyone. I came here on orders to deliver a message. Release me immediately so that I may do so.” Zara snorted.

“The hell with that. You think I want to waste my night picking your bullets out of my walls?” Not even a cocky laugh. This man was as responsive as a block of stone. It was really starting to get annoying.

“If I had been ordered to shoot you, I would have done so as you approached the premise, rather then risk direct confrontation. You may search me if you wish. I have a small handgun in my shoulder holster, and no extra ammo clips. I am not so foolish as to wage a battle with one of your skill with so little weaponry.” Despite her misgivings, she did have to admit he was probably being honest on that count. Moreover, she could detect none of the tiny little tells that would have told her he was lying. He was little threat to her as he was. Still, she didn’t trust him in the slightest. His emotionless non-response to her threats only increased her apprehension. He should at least be nervous...

“You can talk just fine like this, apparently. So do so. Either that or I’ll pluck the message from your brain as I suck all the life from your body. Your choice.” It was not a bluff. Every time she fed, a link was formed with her prey, allowing both of them to see into each other’s minds. It was what allowed her and all of her kind to wipe all memories of the encounter from the few they left alive. To do such an act now, however, would be risky. There was no guarantee that she would even receive the message, let alone recognize it for what it was. Better to get it from him this way and simply watch for those signs of lies.

“Very well,” he responded, nonplused. “You have something that belongs to my organization. This is unacceptable. In four days time, you will return experiment X-22 to the structure you obtained it from.” Zara bit her lower lip, remembering that night that she and Sean had first found Xavier. The night Sean had removed a hospital band from Xavier’s wrist reading: P137ddc Exp 34149431X-22. She didn’t have to be a genius to realize that this man was asking her to return Xavier. Return him to whoever had tortured him.

“Doubtful.”

“You will return it,” the man continued as if she had not interrupted him, “At this moment we are tracking the movements of our target. Should you fail to agree now, Hostile 2 will be captured.”

“Hostile 2?“ Sean. She had no doubt that ‘Hostile 2’ was meant to be Sean. “Nice. I’d like to see that, actually. He’s way too good at what he does to be taken by the likes of you.” She sneered. The solider, now ignoring her hold on him completely, reached to his right arm and pressed a button on what she now saw to be a walkie-talkie, creating a loud screeching noise that made her flinch. Seconds later, it was answered by a series of three consecutive screeches.

“My men are moving to neutralize the threat now. We have experience in this. It’s just a matter of minutes.” He paused, letting the news sink in. Zara growled and released him, determined to warn Sean. Before she could make it two steps though, the man continued. “Should you fail to comply with our timetable, Hostile 2 will be eliminated. Should you take any aggressive actions, your ally will be eliminated. Try to leave the city, he will be eliminated.”

“What good would he do you dead?” Zara demanded, spinning on the solider with fury raging in her eyes. He didn’t as much as blink.

“All vampires are useful to us, dead or alive. Don’t be stupid enough to assume we have no other methods of obtaining what we want. This is simply the most beneficial approach. Force our hand, and I expect you will not like the results.” Zara hesitated for just a second, wishing she had some reason to doubt his words. He was telling the truth, though, and she knew it. Knew it better then she knew anything else in that moment. She turned again, heading out the door. This time, not even his words shouted to her back were enough to stop her. She needed to get to Sean! It had only been ten minutes... She should be able to reach him in time.

“Four days. Then I’ll be tracking you down again. And next time, you’ll never make it past the door.”

Xavier growled as they tore through the building. Or, rather, as he tore and Sean patiently looked in every corner for signs of who had been here and what they had been up to. There was nothing. Absolutely nothing. It was empty. Absolutely empty. He wasn’t sure what he had expected, but this was not it. There should have been something.

“Over here!” Sean called. Xavier turned, already certain he wasn’t going to be shown anything useful. It was a few scattered papers, hidden under a discarded slat. Sean was gathering them carefully and straightening them into a nice, organized pile. His calm and efficient manner was really starting to annoy Xavier. Why had they bothered with the guns if all they were going to do was organize someone’s trash? Angry, Xavier grabbed a fistful of the papers and skimmed through the top sheet.

“What is this crap? Exp L-14 shows response only to substance 3. No observed reaction to stimulus setting Zff8. This is bullshit! Do you understand any of this?” He demanded hotly. Sean gave him an odd look that he was feeling much too impatient to identify.

“No. Most of what I have seems to be mathematical equations and chemical compositions. Not my area of expertise. Maybe Zara will be able to make something of it, if we bring it all with us.”

“Because she’s a nuclear physicist.” Xavier responded bitingly. Sean’s eyes narrowed for just a second, and then he went back to sorting through the junk.

“You’d be surprised.” He said calmly.

“Assuming she ever comes back, that is.” That got Sean’s attention. Standing slowly, anger boiling quite clearly in his green eyes; it was several moments before he responded.

“We’re done here. Dawn’s coming.” Xavier didn’t understand it, but he was suddenly possessed by an irrepressible desire to beat the crap out of the other man. He took exactly three steps toward that goal when Sean stopped, his body tensing. For a second, Xavier thought it was in reaction to his aggressive thoughts, but then Sean gestured for silence. Xavier’s eyes narrowed in confusion as he strained to hear whatever it was that had caught the other’s attention. He hadn’t detected anything. Still didn’t. Nothing, aside from the usual traffic outside. Reaching out with his senses, he was frustrated all over again. He didn’t know what Sean was hearing.

He was picking something up though. Nothing that Sean would hear. Something from another sense. From Zara. About a strange man and -

“Run!” Sean shouted. Xavier blinked as two canisters broke through a window and rolled across the cement floor toward them, shooting some kind of odd smelling gray smoke everywhere. As the smoke curled around him and invaded his body, he felt his head start spinning wildly and his lungs stop working. His knees shook and he started going down, hearing muffled shouts that seemed to come at him from every angle.

Then his fading world was upended. With an ‘oomph’, he tumbled out of another window, glass flying around him. Stumbling to his feet, he marveled that he was feeling better already. Sort of. His head was still out of control. He watched in a dazed state as the slashes on his arms from the glass closed up without a single drop of blood. He didn’t know how he had come to be outside... Couldn’t think clearly... Something had knocked him out the window. He should know what that was, but all he could do was stare blankly at the wounds that didn’t even exist anymore.

“Sean!” He spun, the voice startling him partially out of his dream-like state. Zara was here.

“Zara! I think he’s still inside!” He called out to her. She turned to him, and the trance hit him all over again. He couldn’t breath. She was no longer the doe of the night before, but a goddess now. Her bottomless gray eyes, though filled with terror, ripped through to his very soul and stared at it without blinking. Her long brown hair swung around her as if in slow motion falling in gorgeous waves about her face and shoulders, and her beautiful frame moved with such grace and power that for those moments, he saw nothing else. It was over too quickly.

“Then we have to go get him!” She shouted, running forward. It was all he could do to catch up to her speeding form in time to stop it from entering the cloud of gas that enveloped the building.

“No! That stuff... Too dangerous! You’d never find him before it knocked you out.” He forced himself to be rational, to think. Sean must have been the one who shoved him out. Who else could it have been? And certainly, the man wouldn’t want the two of them - especially Zara - to turn around and jump right back into it.

“They can’t take him! I won’t let them! I need him, damnit! They can’t take him! Let me go!” She was hysterical and pounding against his arms and chest. Part of him wanted to ask her what she was talking about, what she knew. However, mostly, he just wanted her to stop screaming. From their link, he was getting a very clear sense of a breakdown coming, and he had no idea how to prevent it. Or even delay it. He didn’t think he could. So he just held on, preventing her from what he had a good idea was pointless death. He held on until the last tendril of smoke faded into the slowly lightening sky and the air smelled of nothing more then the city itself.

Zara was inside the building the second he let her go. He was two steps behind her, already pretty sure as to what they would find. The only surprise came when he didn’t see Sean’s lifeless body. It was once again empty. This time though not even the papers remained. There were no signs of Sean. Not even a third broken window.

“Maybe he got out,” Zara murmured desperately. They both knew better. He didn’t have to look into her eyes or use the link between them to be aware of the fact that they both knew what had happened to Sean.

“We’ll find him,” she continued in her devastated ramblings. Xavier wasn’t sure why, but he urgently needed her to stop. He felt as though a small piece of his world was caving in, and every time she spoke, it only made things worse. Made it harder for him to think.

“How?” It was out of his mouth before he even realized it was coming, and he instantly regretted it. The hurt in her eyes was almost as powerful as the anger. All he could think about in that moment was that it was the second time in as many days that he had hurt her like that.

Then she was gone.

Again.