“We can’t wait around for her any longer.” Agent Flaurence checked his watch constantly, “It’s been an hour and she’s not here.” 

Red got out of the SUV and pulled his jacket shut.  The cold air hit the dock hard, piercing through his heavy coat.  The sound of water crashing against the harbor filled the air.  He grabbed his backpack from the seat and checked to make sure he had anything he might need.  You never know what you could run into.  He placed the backpack on his back, “Should we go on without her? I mean if we wait any longer we will miss our deadline.  I could use the bonus.” 

Sam walked around the back side of the vehicle while looking across the harbor, “He’s right.  I haven’t seen a car for miles. Plus it’s starting to get cold.”  Sam pulled her bag out of the SUV’s trunk and produced a coat from within, which she promptly slid into.  She also had her own set of weapons to deal with whatever they might encounter.

Agent Flaurence checked his watch one more time before stepping away from the SUV, “You’re right, we can’t wait any longer.  If she shows up, good for us.”  He pulled a pistol from his coat pocket, “Alright let’s go.” 

Sam led the way down a long narrow alley which looked like it would never end.  The tall grey walls on either side gave no trace of individuality.  She looked up at the rooftops of the warehouses, which were only visible if she tilted her head all the way backwards.  She caught a glimpse of the Moon as it gave of its eerie white glow. 

Everyone was silent, still on edge about the mission.  Sam felt something nagging at the back of her mind.  They had sent four of them for a package.  Not four new bloods, but four seasoned operatives. 

Sam came up to a small clearing with two doors on each side, and a fence blocking off the rest of the alley in front of them.  She looked to her left.  Black letters painted on the side of the wall said ‘Warehouse 12’.  The same black letters were on the right, but a thirteen replaced the twelve.  “Well boys, we’re here.” 

Agent Flaurence took the lead.  He stepped up to the warehouse door and jiggled the bar handle.  It flipped all the way down, “It’s unlocked,” He gave out a faint smile, “Lucky for us.”  He then pushed it open and stuck his head inside. 

The warehouse was large, with random sized boxes stacked around the edges of the room.  Large shelves were placed in organized rows around most of the room with the exception of a large clearing in the middle.  It looked as if it were used to load and unload trucks that pulled into the warehouse.

He took a few steps inside.  Looking around the huge room, he glanced behind him and gestured to his team to follow.  The three agents started walking down the same aisle.

 Red rubbed some dust off a large crate, “So, where do we start looking for this package?  We could be here all night.” 

Sam kept walking down the aisle. Ignoring the comment from Red, she walked into the large clearing in the middle of the warehouse.  One large crate sat in the middle.   She smiled, always relishing the chance to get under Red’s skin.  She turned back to the men, who were looking through small boxes here and there, “Or we could just check the large crate in the middle of the room, you know.”  She shrugged, “Just saying.” 

Agent Flaurence and Red turned to her and then looked at the large crate. 

“It might be the one they left for us, since it’s in the middle of the warehouse and all. You know?”  She held her hand up and pursed her lips out.

Red’s skin flushed. 

Agent Flaurence shook his head and walked over to Sam and the crate.  The crate was about chest high, and as wide as a small car, “There’s no way we’re getting this into the SUV.” 

Red joined the two people at the crate, “We can always just open it and take what’s inside?” 

Sam set her bag down and unzipped it.  “Breaburn told us not to open it, but just in case, I brought this,” Sam pulled a crowbar from her bag, “It’s your call Flaurence, we can open it up and get the hell out of here, or we can figure a way of getting this thing back to the institute.  I’m telling you now.  I’m not dragging this crate around.” 

Agent Flauence was quiet for a few seconds.  He thought about how to get the crate back, but without a truck or even machinery to lift it, they would be stuck here for some time.  “Alright, but let me open it, I have some more leeway with Mr. Breaburn.  I might be able to swing this opening of the package thing in my favor,” He looked at Red, “But you can wave that bonus goodbye.”

Red sat silent for a quick moment and shrugged.

Agent Flaurence took the crowbar from Sam.  He positioned himself on the smaller end of the box. 

Sam reached into her bag and pulled out an old fire axe. 

Red looked at her as if she was crazy, “An axe? No guns?” 

Sam just shrugged at him, “What? You need a gun to do a man’s job?”  She then walked over to Agent Flaurence’s side.

 Red was finished with all the taunting, “What’s your problem?” 

Sam smiled and lifted the axe to her shoulder, resting it there for a few seconds, “You’re just too easy man, too easy.”  The small talisman dangled from the hilt of her axe. 

Red’s eyes widened as he saw it, “Where’d you get that?” 

Sam moved behind Agent Flaurence, ready to help him if things got tricky.  Anything could be inside that box. 

Red asked his question again, “Where’d you get that talisman?” 

Sam looked down to the thing hanging from her axe, “Oh that, it’s a gift from an old friend. Let’s just say we had history.”  The small chunk of metal, stone, and wood merged together, dangled from her axe, producing a strange mist.

Red walked closer to examine it, “He must be a good friend to give you such a powerful talisman.” Red’s eyes furrowed together “Wait a minute, that’s why I couldn’t see in your bag.  It blocked me out.”  He stood upright, “I don’t think you know how rare or powerful this thing is.”

Sam gave a forced smile, “Not now Red, we need to open this crate and get back home, I’m tired.”             

Red folded his arms and stepped back.  He closed his eyes and focused on the crate.  Images started to come to his mind, but nothing specific.  He finally spoke, “There’s nothing dangerous inside, I can tell that much.” 

Agent Flaurence rammed the crowbar into the box’s edge.  He pulled a few times and repeated. 

Sam wondered what could be so large to fill the box.  Her nerves were on edge, she couldn’t shake that feeling, the pins and needles kind.  Agent Flaurence was in front of her prying the box open and Red was off to the right, his eyes closed working his psychic mumbo jumbo on the crate.  She stood back, keeping her axe up ready to swing.  The axe had saved her life on many occasions.  It had also sent many ‘things’ back to where they came from, in many occasions this had been a brutal affair.

“Open!”  Agent Flaurence popped open the side of the crate.  A large sheet hung on the inside, blocking their view of the rest of the crate.  Agent Flaurence pulled out his gun, “Alright, watch my back, and let’s see what’s inside.”

 Red moved behind Sam to get a better look at the inside of the crate. 

Sam readied herself for anything, “You comfortable back there, Red?” 

He put his hand on her shoulder, “You know it.”  Sam quickly jerked her shoulder removing his hand.  Red quickly placed his hand on her shoulder again, chuckling as she gave a more violent shrug to remove his hand.

Agent Flaurence ignored the duo and reached his hand out to grab the edge of the sheet.  He then took one last swallow and pulled it aside quickly. 

There was a moment of silence. 

The three companions stared into the crate with surprise.  A young girl huddled against the far side of the crate stared back at them. 

Agent Flaurence holstered his weapon and jerked back from the crate, “What’s going on here?” 

A girl sat in the crate clothed in only a thin tattered shirt and underwear.  She tried scooting further back, but was blocked by the end of the crate, and seemed terrified at the people looking at her.

 “Back off, you pervs.”  Sam pushed the men aside, “Let me handle this one.” She set down her axe and got on her hands and knees.  She crawled into the crate, making slow movements as to not startle the girl.  She sat near the entrance trying to sooth the girl, “Hey, it’s ok, we’re not here to hurt you.  Do you have a name?”

Agent Flaurence pulled out his phone and started pacing, “I’m calling the Institute.  They might have an answer for this.  A girl isn’t a package.  Breaburn better have some answers.”  This wasn’t the first time he met something unexpected.  Sam had the mysterious girl covered, so he was going to find out why a girl was trapped inside a crate.

Red took a few steps back, “This is weird man.  A girl is the package?”  He closed his eyes and rubbed them for a second.  He suddenly stopped as something flared up in his mind. 

“I’m not getting any signal out here.  There must not be a tower nearby,” Agent Flaurence looked at Red. “What’s wrong with you?”

 “Shhh, quiet.  I’m picking something up.” 

Sam then came out of the crate with the girl, “She doesn’t speak English.  I’m not sure what she is speaking.”  Sam took off her jacket and put it on the girl, “It’s cold in here, try to keep warm, okay?”  Sam smiled at the girl, but she seemed on edge around the strangers.  Sam picked up her gear and held the girl’s hand, “We should get going.  I don’t want to linger here longer than we should.” 

The girl’s black hair was wet and matted to her face.  Sam brushed the girl’s hair out of her face and pulled a ball cap from her bag.  She put it on the girl’s head, “Now you’re a bit more covered up.” 

The girl hugged Sam and spoke, “Nict bac un tet.”  Sam held the girl in return.

 “I can’t get a signal on my cell, and Red here is in a trance,” They both looked at Red. 

His head turned upward, “They’re coming.”  His eyes snapped open, “We gotta go now!” 

As soon as he spoke the glass roof above them shattered downward in a torrent of transparent hail. 

The girl screamed as the glass fell.  Agent Flaurence dove at Red, tackling him out of the way.  Sam pulled the girl into a run.  Heading to the door they entered through to the warehouse.  Agent Flaurence got to his feet and looked upward. 

Several men in black fell from the roof.  Ski masks and goggles covered their faces.  They slowed down as they reached the ground and landed gracefully on the floor.  They held up sub-machine guns and formed a half circle around Agent Flaurence and Red.  They hadn’t seen Sam and the girl run behind one of the large shelves. 

Agent Flaurence noticed the lack of rappelling equipment on the armed men.  That could only mean one thing, “Vampires.”

Sam crouched down with the girl and peeked around the corner.  She saw the men surrounding Flaurence and Red. “Damn,” She cursed under her breath.  She looked up to see the last man fall slowly to the ground.  His long hair flowed in the wind, his trench coat doing the same.  When he landed, he brushed his hair aside and stepped forward. 

Sam grabbed her axe from her bag and turned to the girl, “You stay here, ok?”  The girl seemed to understand and nodded profusely.  Sam gave a slight nod in return and began to creep along the backside of the shelves.  She managed to slip up to the very edge, barely behind the men in black. 

The long haired man stepped forward, speaking in a strange accent, “Give us the girl.”  He waited a couple of seconds and looked straight at Agent Flaurence, “Give us the girl now, or we’ll kill you.”  His voice was menacingly calm.  He didn’t seem the least bit worried.

Red, still lying on the ground, started fidgeting with his fingers, “I think we should give them the girl.” 

Agent Flaurence turned to Red with a scowl and turned back to the man with long flowing hair, “We don’t trade with Vampire scum like you.” 

The lead man laughed, “Really?  The Institute has traded with us before, so why not now.  After all, your short lived ‘lives’ are on the line.” 

Sam looked out from behind the edge of the shelf.  A black clothed man furthest from her pulled his goggles off, and looked directly at Sam.  Sam froze, this could ruin everything.  They could all end here. 

Then the man winked at her. 

She was puzzled.  What was going on? 

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