Voracity, Chapter 6

Warnings: Character Death

 Chapter 6

“Report,” McNamara barked when Miller and his men entered the office.

“The creature is attracted to power, Sir,” Miller replied. “I’m sure we can capture it with the right bait.”

“A power cell like Adam’s might work, sir,” Finn suggested.

“His power cell was made of uranium,” McNamara contemplated. “We have a good quantity in storage.” Rising to his feet, he crossed to a map of Sunnydale and the surrounding area.

“May I, sir?” Forrest waited for permission before he joined the colonel. He pointed at several points on the map. “These are known victim locations.”

McNamara used the points to triangulate a central location. “Take Beta team and use the uranium as bait. The hostile must be contained.”

“Yes, sir.” The three soldiers saluted.

Finn went to inform Beta team of the newest mission while Miller and Gates procured the uranium. The soldiers set up the trap near the Wilkins Memorial Cemetery where they knew the creature had been before. Then, they settled in to wait.

~~~

“Arise, warriors,” Terra Mater said. “The Hellmouth is open.”

Buffy stared at the newcomer. “Tara, is that you?” She was sure she recognized Willow’s girlfriend from a few pictures Giles had at the Magic Box.

“Hello, Buffy.”

“What the heck is going on?” Buffy looked confused.

“I may have inadvertently opened the Hellmouth,” Terra Mater replied.

“You caused the earthquake,” Spike stated.

“Unfortunately,” Terra Meter nodded. “It was an unforeseen event that was beyond my control. When Anyanka elevated this body, we became tied to the earth and its events.”

“Can you close it?” Buffy asked. “If the Hellmouth stays open, who knows the consequences?”

The look on Terra Mater’s face turned thoughtful. “Yes, I think I can. If I can get help from my siblings, Sol and Luna, it should be a piece of cake.” She tapped her chin. “Now, to find two beings willing to host

Buffy glanced at Spike out of the side of her eye. “I’m willing to host one of them.”

“Don’t look at me. I need to meet up with the Demonic Council about the people and demons dyin’ here in good old Sunnyhell.” Spike shook his head. “I don’t need a hitchhiker taggin’ along. It’ll be hard enough gettin’ them to talk to a half-breed like m’self.”

Terra Mater’s eyebrows shot up. “What are you talking about?”

“There’s something loose in Sunnydale.” Buffy’s eyes filled with tears. “It’s what killed Giles. It also got Harmony Kendall, a demon, and sucked the vamp right out of one of Spike’s minions. And that’s the kills we know of.”

“That’s not good,” Terra Mater muttered under her breath. “You might get your audience easier if Sol is along for the ride.”

Spike and Buffy glanced at each other again. After a bit of silent communication, they both turned to Terra Mater. Buffy spoke their decision aloud. “If your brother and sister can help us close the Hellmouth and catch whatever the monster is, we’re willing.”

Terra Mater bowed her head in acknowledgement. “Then, it shall be done.”

~~~

Corderman opened the folder. “Rupert Giles. Why is that name so familiar?”

Wilkins looked up from his paperwork. “He was the librarian when the school blew up and Uncle Rich ate the principal.”

“Right. I met him the night the gang on PCP invaded the high school a few years back,” Corderman said with a nod. “I could never figure out why a gentleman with his background could stoop to being a high school librarian. He was the curator at the British Museum, you know?”

Wilkins rubbed the back of his neck in a self-conscious sort of way. “It appears the Slayer has an older mentor. Giles was that mentor for Summers.”

“Was that in your uncle’s files?”

“Yeah.” Wilkins let out a startled grunt when a woman appeared behind the police chief. “Who the hell are you?” he demanded.

“I am Terra Mater. I need your help.”

~~~

The Yokk-Foi paused in its drunken meandering towards the dominant, pulsating power source. A smaller, more familiar source of nourishment throbbed against the Yokk-Foi’s senses. It turned to pursue the recognizable food.

“Here it comes,” Riley Finn whispered to his squad. “Everyone, get ready.”

At the commander’s words the soldiers tensed. They lifted their weapons to aim at the creature, and they had to hold back their gasps of horror and surprise when they realized the Yokk-Foi looked nothing like its genetic parents.

The Yokk-Foi noticed the inconsequential humanoids near the power source. “Dinner and dessert,” it hissed. It centered its attention on the uranium power cells.

“Fire!” Finn shouted. He opened fire with his tranquilizer gun.

Part of the squad had tranquilizer guns like Finn. Another part of the squad had tazer rifles, while several of the soldiers had nets to throw over the creature once it was downed.

The Yokk-Foi laughed when the soldiers attacked it. The tranquilizer darts passed through its body while the tazer attack merely gave the monster more control. “Puny humans, there is no way you can defeat me.”

“It’s not working, Finn,” Graham Miller muttered.

“I can see that, Miller,” Finn said from between gritted teeth. “Throw the nets over it.”

The soldiers watched in horror as the net disappeared into the monster’s body.

“Retreat,” Finn screamed. “Scatter and return to base.” He backed away from the Yokk-Foi which was happily sucking the energy out of the uranium cells. Then, he turned to run as fast as he could through the wooded area.

Riley could hear his fellow soldiers crashing through the underbrush. He almost shouted out loud when he thought they had run in the wrong direction. Finn gave a mental shrug. If their blunder allowed him to get away what did he care? The best thing he’d learned since leaving Iowa was to look out for number one.

What Riley Finn didn’t comprehend was that his squad had run in the right direction, and he was running deeper into the forest. After a few minutes of running, Riley realized that he was surrounded by total silence. Even the night birds and crickets had ceased making noise.

Riley stopped in his tracks. An unsettling feeling crawled up and down his spine. “Miller, is that you?” He whirled around when a sinister laugh sounded behind him.

Riley felt a fissure of relief go through his mind when he saw a man lurch out of the trees. He stepped towards the man, but when the laughter sounded again he realized that it hadn’t emanated from the other human male.

“Help me,” the man croaked.

Finn raised his tranq gun, and he aimed it at the man. “Who are you and what are you doing out here?”

“Help me!” the man croaked again.

Riley fired the rest of his tranquilizer darts into the man who then fell to the ground where he twitched for a few moments before he fell limp. The drugs in just one of the darts were strong enough to bring down an elephant. A human had no chance of help. Detective Stein died alone on the forest floor.

“So easy,” the Yokk-Foi hissed in a drunken voice.

Finn looked around when he heard the hissing. When he saw the Yokk-Foi emerge from the forest, he was poised to start running again. Fear filled his mind when he saw viscous black tendrils emerge from the Yokk-Foi. Riley ran a few steps before the tendrils encircled his legs and pulled him to the ground.

“Let me go,” Finn screamed. He clawed at the ground while he kicked at the black mass encircling his body. Any more sounds were dampened by the Yokk-Foi.

Riley Finn’s last thought in the world was the unfairness of life and how things had gone so downhill for him ever since he insulted this girl Hally at the local nightclub.

The Yokk-Foi rose up to extend its senses. It was time to go check out the strongest power source in town.

 

Originally posted at http://seasonal-spuffy.livejournal.com/405071.html