02 - Retaliation

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Boris leads the Refugee group to the Mongolian Border, and also destroys the NVG group, along with the person who had created that whole situation. The founding of New Romanovka/Archangelsk, Siberia.

BC 02/1 Boris had given Danislav command of the secondary site forces. These troops were tasked with reinforcing the encamped primary group and sealing off the ends of the ambush against any NVG ( forces trying to escape. Central to the plan was the strategy to take out the vehicles. Second priority would be the armor. All of the marksmen had orders to disable and destroy any of the trucks that tried to go around the battle for strategic position or in an attempt to run. Boris did not want anyone to escape, especially in a highly mobile vehicle. Communications to be accomplished by wolf howls, if any change in plan. It is vital that we completely eliminate this group. Its orders are… not kind to our people. Once the threat that they represent is gone, we can focus more on finding information that will help us decide what to do next.” Boris hated “leading from the rear”, but he was the only person with the experience and the knowledge of their other assets, so he was forced into a more protected position, although it continued to rankle him. A dozen or more cameras had been linked into a network designed by TOM and coordinated by ADAM to enable Boris to come as close as possible to the action while still strategically overseeing the battle. It was a compact and comprehensive setup, with an added benefit that everything could be moved into the shipping container/command transport once the fight was over. Boris wished he could fight with them and swore to himself that next time he would not be kept out of the action. Two companies of NVG had been given orders to run the refugees down, take as many as possible captive, and march them to a position some hundred and fifty miles north of their home in Romanovka. Boris had marked the location carefully and was deciding whether or not to investigate the area once the battle was over. There had to be a reason that the NVG had selected it since it wasn’t convenient for a transport depot, or the exchange of prisoners.

BC 02/2 Danislav had to take command when bunker Bear (the Command Post), was damaged and lost communications. “Valkyrie Alpha One, break half a squad from your group off and send it to bunker Bear and see what happened. Re-establish communications if possible. Confirmation came across. They were too far away for Danislav to see any movement but the Valkyrie groups were made up of a mix of mercenaries with medic training and those doctors and nurses who chose to stay. If anything could be done, they would do it. Found Boris pinned to his chair by three-foot splinter of wood through his chest. Paul on the ground, breathing, OK. Janna cuts and bruises. Janna pulls chair off splinter, splinter out of wound, staunches blood, sees him healing. Has swallowed quite a lot of his blood as it sprayed from his chest. Then she collapses over him. Boris regains consciousness, pulls Janna and Paul to safer position, changes to Bear and begins to dig out of post. Meets medics, goes back in with backboards for Paul and Janna, and drags them out. Battle was over, and first step in Retaliation was complete!

BC 02/3 Shen, a werecat captured by a vampire (Konrad) for his blood, was the basis of an experiment to improve humans to better serve their vampire masters. All had died except one, Andrev, who became a "go-for' for Konrad. Shen had been fed their bodies as part of his food supply. He wished for death, as 2-3 months in the cage being drained of his blood was worse than death. Shen tells Konrad of the legends (See Characters, Boris - Legends), and was rewarded with food.

BC 02/4 Boris and Frank review NVG shot that took out the bunker, maybe something new? Will investigate. Frank needs a favor from Boris. “I need you take out a facility. Apparently, an NVG linked company has taken over security for one of the Siberian oil refineries. Now production is officially down fifteen percent. The ministry my contact works for has proof that they are siphoning that fuel into their own supply lines, but Defense and the other government departments are refusing to act. He wants it stopped, with no indication of outside help. “But the refinery, we are just taking out their security, right? Not the plant operators?” “Of course. Bethany Anne wouldn’t consider any other way. “Dan will come down to pick you up. A spare pod will take Janna to Bethany Anne. Dan needs some time out of the office anyway. You and Dan will head straight to the refinery. We’ll get Janna into the medical pod and get her better.

BC02/5 Pods arrive, Janna and elite Guard in one, to go back to Pod-doc, Boris and Dan to go to refinery, do their job. Weapons reviewed, including shotgun with silver buckshot. They landed a mile away, and Boris finds a pair of bunkers on the way to the refinery. Wanted to take Bunker so that ADAM could plug in to comm system, hijack it. As approached, more trucks rolled up to it, including werewolves, going to base to secure oil. Trucks rolled to base, and bunker was captured. Four dead. Then plans change, as Boris decides they needed a live were for info. Weres a pack, or loners? Boris changes to Pricolici. Dan to flush men towards him. Boris manages to capture a live were, breaking all four of his legs to forestall escape for at least a little while, killing many soldiers in the process. Dan had been careless, was now surrounded, perimeter guards around him. Five dead, at least eleven more to be handled. Still handling them, although they had put bayonets on their guns. Dan spiked by one, felt Etheric energy throughout body. First time since enhancement. Dan and Boris drove off with a truck full of wolves. To question. In Australia, where Stephen, Akio, Barnabas, Bethany Anne would make sure they got the right answers.

BC 02/6 After Janna had swallowed so much of Boris’ blood, she was brought to TOM and ADAM and a Pod-doc for analysis. They found even more anomalies with her blood, that perhaps a third Kurtherian clan had visited Earth and re-programmed some if the nanocytes, but it was o old that TOM had no knowledge of their techniques and results. <<All I am saying is without further data we can only reach three conclusions. One, there was a Kurtherian of an older Era on this planet. Two, he modified the nanites of the group that changed the Wechselbalg for his own, unknown, purposes. Three, as a consequence of Janna’s actions in saving Boris we may need to take measures to enable her to survive and leave the stasis we have her in.>> And we will want to put Boris in to ameliorate the aggressiveness on his nanites after we fix the programming.

BC02/7 Boris, in Australia, enjoys a meal after all of the stress of the battles. Dan comes to him with comm system so TOM and ADAM could tell him about Janna. We missed many details, like how aggressively your nanites would hook into and transform a new host. They will kill the new host if they are not genetically compatible with their programming.” Janna had come into the cafeteria, and touched his cheek. The only people he had seen that were definitively in worse shape than her had been those who had barely survived the concentration camps and gulags of World War Two. “I would like to have you in the medi-pod after Janna has been put through the second round in the medi-pod to finish fixing her nanites programing. We can modify the programming in your nanites to make them less dangerous. They are overly aggressive in how they change a new host. We can make them less so.” Bethany Anne liked it that Janna and Boris were interested in each other. They exchange stories of their past, (See Characters, Boris, Janna)

BC 02/8 All groups reorganized, some with silver ammunition. Another event. We have all been organizing the plan for the disruption of the three convoys. We have a twelve-hour window for all three operations. As a further strategy, they were using the same camouflage that the Chechens used and were careful to leave a torn piece of cloth near each raid.

Most of this chapter is involved with Janna’s change into werebear form, and her training in that form. Please see Characters, Janna, Characters, Boris, and Creatures, Wechselbalg for LOTS more information!

BC 02/9 Shen was being questioned by the vampire about the rumors/legends about the Siberian werebear the Chinese had avoided for centuries. Konrad had been responsible for the devastation of Romanovka, part of his plan to force the Russian Government to change its policy concerning various deals with China. Boris, the Ghost Bear, had led a very successful campaign against the Weres and lesser vampires on the Eastern front. He had killed two of Konrad’s brothers. He’d never been able to find out more than the code name. Perhaps he could distract the military forces, and get revenge. With control over key areas, he could force the President to change Russian policies to what he wanted over time. And to send as many teams and assassins as it took to kill Boris. He contacted Major Yerokhin to mobilize his available forces to interdict and delay the column of civilians en-route to make an illegal border crossing. He had been promised a promotion by his contact in addition to his usual payment if he managed to delay the convoy ten days.

Captain Evgeni Dubrovsky was not comfortable with his orders. Taking down drug traffickers and thwarting slavers - that was why he had joined. Killing civilians fleeing something was not. Harming civilians, Russian civilians, put into an impossible situation was not what he’d signed up for. After they had landed, he was going to head straight for the refugee column and attempt contact. His men would follow him and his orders, or not. He would not have his honor stained with innocent blood if he could help it.

BC 02/10' Lev, the Refugee Convoy Commander, was worried, Weather, illness and age had slowed the convoy more than three days, and he was afraid they would miss their pick-up point/schedule. He heard a wolf howl, a signal, and knew that was a signal for armed men moving to intercept. Within the hour he had four groups of a hundred men heading in the direction of the howls. The wolf with the report would be here soon. It was a Spetsnaz team, but they were acting very strangely. They were compromising stealth for speed, something special forces rarely did. It was a Spetsnaz team, but they were acting very strangely. They were compromising stealth for speed, something special forces rarely did. He sent the wolf back with orders for them to ambush but negotiate before firing. It was a risk, but if it got them more information, it would be worthwhile. He only hoped it would end well. If they were defectors, he was sure that either the Czarina or Boris would be able to find a use for them.

Captain Evgeni Dubrovsky realized that his men were being ambushed, and couldn’t figure out how, so said, “Whoever’s out there I’d appreciate a parley.” “Why would we negotiate with soldiers from the same government that arrested fifty of us without cause and shot another twenty-five out of hand?” “Because the force that did that was illegal. We are legal border force troops of the Russian Federation. And we come bearing news of a danger to your justified fleeing of the country.” He surrendered his group, hoping that none of them decided that this was all a bad idea. He was taken to Lev, who asked, “What is the threat you wish to inform us of? Has the Border Force mobilized against us? Our sources have confirmed that they are the only force that could possibly intercept us now that the NVG’s pursuit force is gone.” Evgeni told Lev all he knew about the other forces, their strengths, positions, etc., with the explanation that they were not here to kill Russian refugee. “Yes, indeed we were hoping to defect to whoever was taking you in. None of us wish to continue to serve a government so corrupt someone in it would send troops to kill its own civilians that have been abused by an armed political faction.” . Maybe defecting hadn’t been as stupid as he had sometimes thought. Maybe whomever these refugees were going to would be worth serving.

Mikhail, a were, could do more good working for this Czarina, he was sure, than he could by staying. So he made his choice and was one of the most senior among the Weres that were protecting the refugees. He had a talent for judging people, and had interviewed the officer. That officer had been nervous, even a little afraid, but he didn’t give off the sour odor of deception. Mikhail was on a mission to intercept the enemy, and had just hit a jackpot. Looked like it was time to make these attackers disappear. If it were not for the rain, these men might be already setting up sniper nests to kill his friends and neighbors. With a snarl that shredded the dreary mist, Mikhail jumped for the lead man’s neck as he passed. . A few screams of agony, finally followed by silence. Their part of this mission complete, the pack scouted further ahead.

Evgeni thought it strange when a baker’s dozen of their comrades were dragged into their encampment by some of the column’s militia. Supplies to patch them up were provided. Some of their wounds were terrible. All of them were dog or wolf bite He remembered seeing few if any dogs with the column. The scouts were probably skilled hunters and hunters often had their own dogs. He comforted himself with that as thoughts of humanity’s darker legends whispered to him.

BC 02/11 Janna feels that Boris is holding back on her training, and talks with Ecaterina about it. Ecaterina gives her all of the reasons why, all valid and suggests Alexi her Uncle, as a sparring partner for her. Alexi agrees, and they train, bear to bear.

BC 02/12 Sarangerel, the Mongolian Pack Mistress, sent Boris a message. Was disappointed he had not contacted her, although Mongolia had no problem accepting the refugees crossing their border but had no desire to make a great fanfare of it. She and Boris had fallen out of contact since the fall of communism, and Boris knew the rebuke was for him going insular and quiet on her. He sent the messenger back with apologies and an assurance that the refugees would not be there long. When they crossed the border, Boris was at the head of the column. He saw a woman on horseback and smiled. Sarangerel had come to meet them personally. He noted that she would meet Bethany Anne, and to not say a word about Michael, due to his absence. “I swear I will not bring it up unless absolutely necessary.”

“China’s Weres are up to something. I cannot get a read on it. “They will receive the same option my Czarina gave China’s government. Try to kill me, sue for peace, or die. Neutrality will not be a solution. A pod dropped, and Dan had come to pick up Boris for an interrogation. A live one!

BC 02/13 Janna had captured a knowledgeable agent, , and had interrogated him for three days, getting much information about Konrad and Chinese activities. Boris got VERY upset about her involvement, and Dan told him that he was in love, and had better get it under control before he saw her. “As long as you don’t let it affect your job, Bethany Anne won’t care. Think about it. Nathan and Ecaterina, John and Jean Dukes, Stephen and Jennifer. Questioning techniques described, and agent fears nothing. Until repeated questionings and agony convinced him they meant business. The broken man gave descriptions of the three sites that Konrad used to base his operations and admitted that there was somewhere in the north near Finland that Konrad spent time. They also found out that Konrad had various Weres captured on these bases and was using them to improve his most loyal followers. With a success rate of about one in ten. ADAM did his magic, and they confirmed that one was serving as a comms node, and was, therefore, the most likely place for Konrad to be at this time. If they staged a closely-fought ambush on a convoy within twenty kilometers of the base at worst, it would pull a portion of the guard force that could be the real ambush target. At best, Konrad would come himself.

BC 02/14 Konrad was keeping Shen apprised of all of the action on the political front as well as the battle field fronts. The man was riding the ragged edge of insanity, almost ready to tip over into full madness. The vampire had started to assign a company of troops as convoy escorts, and the raids had died back, only to be replaced by spoiling attacks on the bases. Shen could not say with certainty who was responsible for the raids. Ready the HQ guard squad as well. We will lead the rescue effort, and make sure some of the raiders escape. We can spread fear among these troublemakers. This additional force will break the strength of the raiders we attack by the shock and surprise alone. Their leaders will appear less competent and that will erode their resolve and morale, destroying them.

BC 02/15 Boris plans an attack on Konrad’s convoy, the force attacking the convoy numbering two hundred riflemen and fifty Weres. This attacking force had a dozen mortars, a handful of anti-armor weapons and twenty of his snipers with Barretts. He had three carefully hoarded anti-vehicle mines on the road, as well as a demolition charge. He still had the Ace that hadn’t been used. Bethany Anne had eight Black Eagles on standby. Boris had contempt for Konrad’s open and easily-disrupted plan. The bases the vampire had built or secured gave him enormous strategic reach but were too dispersed to support each other. They were tactically vulnerable. This was true even if four of them provided jump-off points to nuclear sites. Several bases were large enough to provide assistance but even fully-manned their effectiveness would be limited since the NVG had no helicopter or air support. Konrad was likely to lead his men personally, so Boris needed to be in front, as well. He had new body armor that had overlapping plates that would spread to provide more effective protection in his Pricolici form. Janna’s assignment was to cover his back from Weres and would be supported by Paul. Paul had opted to wear a relatively thick ceramic-insert vest. He was the base of fire, or designated shooter, for the pair of them anyway. It was their job to protect him and his to shoot the head off any other Weres in their area. That was why he would be firing single shots tonight, to make sure that the attackers that came close to his friends did not survive. Boris watched the convoy approach. The lead truck rolled over one of the mines and practically disintegrated, throwing its load of men outward in a bloody spray of body parts. The troops exited their vehicles quickly, all 700 of them, and Boris knew this was going to get bloody quickly. He heard a group of howls coming from the back of three of the trucks. That made things worse. At least thirty, probably more like fifty, werewolves. Konrad had put a mental mist on the troops, and Boris was finding it slightly disorienting. Boris was attacked by a werecat, and pulled it off. Janna saw Paul eviscerated, and Boris injured, and a rage took her, changing her into Pricolici form. Although Boris’s wounds were healing, he was now at a disadvantage. He still faced off against an uninjured Were and Konrad. For a short time, the two combatants tested each other, feinting and dodging, but Boris grew bored with this. He now had the measure of the man and knew that he could take him down the next time the circling action was reversed. The vampire barely managed to evade Boris’ blow but managed to grab the Were’s arm as it went past. He turned, and reflexively bit down on Boris’ wrist and drank, desperate for the blood within and the energy it would give him. It would be the last mistake he would make. Boris’s free hand reached out, grabbed the vampire’s neck and snapped it. His other arm, still dripping some blood, grabbed the hair on Konrad’s head. Reaching down he picked up his short sword and swung it in a deadly arc, cleanly decapitating Konrad. Boris goes to Paul, and sees that his only chance is if he and Janna give him enough blood to take him to a Pod-doc, so Boris calls Janna, even though she is in Pricolici mode, to help. She did, allowing her blood to flow into his abdomen, and Bethany Anne showed up. She walked over to Paul, put one hand on him, the other reaching for Ashur, and all three of them disappeared.

BC 02/16 Evgeni and his group, the Spartans, knew what was causing the enemy to flee (Janna in Pricolici form), and didn’t try to stop them. Will advance toward the base. Janna joins them, with Boris’ blessing. About four hundred men had volunteered to assault the base if Danislav deemed it worth the risk. Without the vampire leading the base forces, Boris suspected many who had joined the NVG would disappear into the forest or surrounding villages. With the NVG force shattered, he would be surprised if there were anyone left living on the base when he got there. Janna’s appearance would spread the panic quickly, as well. Janna was shocked when she approached the base. There was no defensive fire, in fact, there was nothing but silence. She heard the trucks with the wounded and the remainder of their force approaching in the muted growl of engines. The vehicles passed a group that was organizing the dead for recovery and burial. This late in the autumn, it was best to just cover the bodies and set guards. It had already been decided to bury them in the Romanovka cemetery before they left. One of the Spartans came running to them. We have found a man being held in one of the basement offices that had been converted to a cell and office combination. We thought it best to inform you immediately and ask how you wanted to deal with the situation.” Boris turned to Janna. “Lead on. Maybe he knows something that could be useful to us.” They found Shen in the building, a prisoner. Janna found the office stuffed with folders, all in German or one of the Norse languages for starters. No problem, ADAM will figure it out. Shen spoke out, ““Make sure you send the laptop with the papers then. He would often refer to it while writing. I suspect it has some of the code keys on it.” Shen told him his story of capture, etc. Boris turned him over to Danislav for rehab.

BC 02/17 Boris and group Mopped up the outposts, bases and separated forces of the NVG. The Russian military had been given the information, including that the group's leader had been a German citizen (Konrad?). Given the potential political fallout from this, a compromise had been negotiated between the military establishment and Boris. The number of criminals and former criminals that had been found amongst the casualties by military analysis teams was above twenty-five percent. Boris’ group agreed to clean up the NVG group, as well, on two conditions. The first was full clemency papers for every member of his group for the duration of the ‘necessary actions for the security of the state.’ The other was payment. His group had provided enough of the papers and files to show that Konrad’s intention was to use the NVG to force the government to dance to his tune. Boris could prove that despite Romanovka’s history, they had never been a danger to the state. The NVG was. Boris demanded payment, as well as land around two of the bases, for citizens of Romanovka to use if they so desired for repatriation and relocation. In exchange for their graciousness, Boris had agreed to hand over any prisoners. The exception was Shen, who remained with Boris’ team. Shen was an essential part of the eradication of Konrad’s organization. He appreciated the improvement in his status. They had a dozen small outposts left to conquer and the one large base, the Archangelsk. If only they could figure out where it was located. Its precise geographic site had been absent from all the notes. ADAM and TOM had tried several methods to try and find it from orbit but to no avail. The scans hadn’t picked up anything particularly of interest. Janna had an uncommon reaction to combat. She had been demandingly affectionate when they had reached safety after each mission. It was nice to have found someone with whom he could share all of his life, rather than fleeting moments that were edited carefully. It was also something he had never really dreamed could be an option. He felt a warmth in his heart that he had rarely experienced before in his long, long life. He had causes and people for whom he cared but after seeing so much of the worst of humanity, he had kept them at arm’s length with very few exceptions. Paul, Danislav, a handful of others, he had let in close. But none of them as close as the redhead lying next to him. The phone rang. It was Frank. Paul and Alecta have reconciled, she has changed. Boris worried that this would ruin his friendship with Paul, making him a werebear, something Alecta hadn’t counted on. But Bethany Anne agree to inactivate the Pricolici protocols. Sons still undecided. Alexi agreed to help the reconciling couple get used to their other forms a few weeks ago. I think he must be one of the few people who likes Paul’s sense of humor.” Secondly, we have narrowed down a likely site for the Archangelsk Base. Meet Paul and Alecta there. Just give me a time.” Noon, tomorrow, as Janna almost knocked him to the floor by the unexpected and very enthusiastic tackle hug. It was going to be a pleasant and very sweaty day he suspected.