Van Helsing Rising - Helen Scott

1

Striker

I wave two fingers over my head, gesturing them toward the structure in front of me, and watch as my teammates move silently forward like shadows. It isn't surprising; this is exactly what we have trained for, what we specialize in. We are the hunters in the night, the boogeymen for supes everywhere.

Supernatural beings exist.

But only a select few people know.

It’s our job to help keep it that way and avoid mass panic. It’s also our job to kick ass and ask questions later if the supe in question was causing trouble. The one we have been tracking here seemed completely human except for a couple of instances where he showed above average strength and speed, and not the kind he would get from spending every day in the gym.

When we first followed him here we hadn't expected to find a whole damn compound. Instead of taking him then, we had to fall back and regroup. We’re prepared this time though.

This troublemaker has some explaining to do.

Phoenix and Crash move forward at my signal and everything is going perfectly until a fucking motion-sensitive floodlight comes on, alerting everyone within the area to our presence. The back of my neck tingles, feeling like something is crawling across it, so I know we have people, well, supes, inbound.

"At least three heading this way. Take down silently if possible," I say into the microphone that was wrapped around my neck and resting against each side of my trachea. My voice wouldn't have been audible even to me without the specialized, military-grade headset.

Grunts come in reply through the small earpiece I’m wearing. A moment later the eerie reflection of a shifter's pupils shine in the darkness. They never actually shifted though. I watch from my spot by the tree at the edge of the compound as Crash lands the butt of his gun against the shifter's face. It stuns the enemy just long enough for him to follow up with the hunting knife he keeps at his belt, ending him soundlessly. That shifter is just the first though, and as the sensation across the back of my neck becomes more intense, I know staying hidden is pointless.

"Bogies incoming," Phoenix growls over his com.

"Fire at will," I respond before I move from the trees to catch up with my teammates with Dragon following close behind. Our unit may be small, but we are efficient and ruthless, which is why our President sends us out on missions like this. Now, it’s time to put those skills to good use.

We move to cover, and I sight down my gun, preparing for the attack. They are faster than before, as though they know their scout has fallen. Maybe they could smell the blood? I’m not sure, hell, I’m not even sure what we were dealing with other than at least one shifter. All we had been given coming into this was the layout, and the fact that we knew the supe we had been following previously had been spending his days there. He doesn't live there though, which I find strange.

As soon as one of the enemies steps in my line of fire, I let two rounds fly. The pop-pop sounds in my ear and only serves to push my adrenaline levels higher. This isn't just a one-on-one fight anymore. There are multiple supes, and we don't know what kind. I change clips on my gun, switching from regular bullets to ones with a silver-filled hollow point. Better to be safe than sorry against supes of unknown varieties. Of course, it would be useless against vamps, but if vamps are involved then we’re in serious shit.

Rounds are fired off from Dragon and Phoenix on either side of me. When the first grouping of targets are taken care of, we advance. Cash holds back and makes sure that they are dead, not just injured or faking it. The last thing we need in a situation like this is an enemy at our backs.

I don't envy him the job.

By the time we make it inside the building, we have faced off against two more small groups. As we approach the door, the electronic lock and key pad become my focus as I get ready to pull the small explosive we use in this situation out of my pack. Before I can do anything, Crash’s voice comes over the comms. "Striker, you should see this."

I double back while Dragon and Phoenix guard the door. Crash is standing over the latest body with