Strange Love

The dungeonous basement had finally begun to clear out with all the girls teleported to the nearest hospital and almost everyone else with them.

Poseidon let out a heavy sigh as his eyes moved around the room. "I don't envy you boys this next task." He said taking in the remaining lifeless bodies at various stages of discomposure. "Have you at least gotten them all identified?"

Peg nodded as he raked his hand through his short, white hair. "Yeah, the ones that can still be identified... DNA samples will have to be taken from the rest of the remains." He shook his head as he stared at the disgusting scene before him. "I just don't understand what the fuċk happened in here... why?!"

Ry shook his head in agreement. "I'm not sure. We were told there was human trafficking, but I would have never expected this... especially so many girls from well-to-do families."

"The sick bastard had a type, that's for sure." Arei threw in. "As soon as we finish here, I suggest we find the bastard before he gets too far..."

"Ah... speaking of which... Where is the kid?" Poseidon asked looking around the larger room past the cellar.

"Last I saw him he was still talking to some of the law enforcement teams from the council." Ry replied.

Poseidon nodded as he spotted Russ in one corner of the room with a mixed group of palace guards and council enforcers. He made his way over, noticing for the first time since the wall had opened, Giorgos standing quietly in a corner near Russ. He arched a brow at the pale wolf. "I wondered where you were..."

Giorgos frowned. "I... hadn't expected... that... I apologize for not being of more help." The man looked away. "Truth is... I know... knew some of those girls... I grew up here, ya know..."

Poseidon clamped a hand over the man's shoulder. "There's nothing to be ashamed of, you stuck by. That's all that matters. You're a trustworthy man, you know."

"That's why I'm making him my second..." Russ announced as he turned his attention away from the larger group.

Poseidon nodded. "Good call. How's it going over here?"

Russ let out a heavy sigh as he nodded to the other guards. "Looks like Fern took at least ten men with him, cutting palace staff by a third. They're going to begin sweeps for him within the hour." He nodded to the enforcers. "With these guys' help..."

Poseidon nodded again. "Arei, Peg, and Ry said they would help as soon as they finish with the other room in there.

Russ shook his head with a heavy frown. "Fucking flames of hell wouldn't burn hot enough to burn away the horrors of that room."

"You wouldn't be wrong there. Luckily, those three are accustomed to the worst humanity has to offer." Poseidon shot a glance over his shoulder toward the cellars. His sons had disappeared back inside the hellish room. He turned his focus back to Russ with a sigh. "I don't suppose you are ready to head to the hospital, are you?"

Russ sent the guards and enforcers a questioning look. When they nodded dismissively, he turned his attention to Giorgos. "You ready?"

Giorgos swallowed hard as he nodded. "I guess if I'm going to be the king's beta, I better start manning up..."

Russ slapped him reassuringly on the back. "Dude, if you were able to keep your cool here tonight, I would have second-guessed trusting you. This was the most fuċkėd shit I've ever seen, hell, heard of!"

Poseidon nodded in agreement. "I've been around for more years than I'd ever like to admit, and I'd still have to agree with you there." He placed his hand on the men and within seconds they were inside the hospital.

Russ let out a heavy sigh. "Too bad the worst of it still isn't behind us..."

Giorgos nodded. "So, you're going to sit in on those girls' interviews?"

Russ nodded. "Yeah... I've asked that they set up a separate room for us, so the girls can speak freely without our interruptions."

"Us... Our... I see... You want us to join you..." Giorgos muttered as they made their way down the hallway.

"Yeah, one as my beta... and secondly to help me stay level-headed. I don't think I'd be able to keep as level as I have had it not been for you guys, tonight..."

Russ glanced around the busy halls as nurses and other medical staff worked frantically to save as many lives as possible. Movement caught their attention as someone stepped out of a room. "Drake?" Russ asked. He let out a tired sigh. "What's up? How's Mattie?"

Drake ran a hand through his short, still dirty hair. "He's good. They're keeping him the night for observations... though I doubt they're going to have time to really check on him with all that's going on. I don't blame them though; those girls need the care a lot more." He gave a light-hearted chuckle. "I talked to mom... I'd love to say she feels bad for all that's happened with her and my uncle and all... but that would be a harsh overstatement."

"Your uncle? You mean Dante?" Russ asked.

Drake sent him an uneasy smile. "I mean him too, but I was talking about Marcus..."

"Marcus, the councilman, was your uncle?" Russ asked.

"Not by blood... but yeah... kinda... He and dad were tight..." Drake sighed. "Anyways, I was hoping to personally apologize to your sister... for what my dad and Dante did to her... I know it won't change things, but what her husband said had me thinking, ya know... He seems like a solid guy and so do you all... I hope we can continue moving forward and working together after all this..."

Poseidon sent Russ a questioning look as he stepped forward. "Dude... I'd love to make shit up... but right now isn't the best time. My sister just had a baby, a baby at one point she was terrified would be born part vampire because of what that ȧsshole did to her. I don't think right now is the time to talk... Give her and Rin some time, they'll come around... until then I'd be glad to continue working with you."

Drake rubbed the back of his neck. "So, does that mean I can crash at your place until Mattie is released?"

Russ searched the other man's expression for several long seconds. "Sure... why not..." He nodded to Poseidon. "You can teleport over with us once we're finished up here."

Drake nodded, "Alright, let me know when you're ready to check on the girls. I'd like to go with you. I wasn't lying earlier when I said we developed a camaraderie in that hellish pit."

Russ began to turn away from the vampire but paused. Turning back, he studied Drake for several long moments, the vampire growing obviously uncomfortable under the scrutiny. "Hey... um, you wouldn't want to sit in on the interviews with us, would you?" Russ shrugged. "I know it's probably not going to be the best thing for any of us mentally... but some good may come out of it... Ya know since the vampires were involved as well..."

Drake seemed to stand a bit straighter as he nodded and began to follow after them. "I know this is going to sound stupid considering what we're about to sit through, but thanks... It means a lot that you're willing to look past what and who I am and bring me in as a part of this..."

Poseidon clasped the young vampire on the shoulder. "I wouldn't be thanking anyone just yet. I have a feeling this is about to get worse rather than better..."

***

Peg popped the latex gloves off one at a time, folding them into each other as he did. "I'm bathing in straight bleach when I get home..."

Arei nodded. "I've seen some pretty sick shit in my life, but this takes the cake..." He said as he labeled the last of the samples they'd taken. Each bag contained what they could gather of hair and teeth samples from the remaining bodies in the room. "What now?"

"The council has requested that we bag the bodies and have them sent to cremation. They decided, given the circumstances, it would be better not to have the families identify the bodies... rather just present them with the remains once they've been IDed through DNA." He frowned down at the ten tiny black bags lined up on the floor of the cellar. "What about the rest of it?"

Ry searched the muck-filled room. "Got any of that bleach with you?"

"Fuck, I wish! Might be tempted to pour some of it in my eyes just to burn away the images of tonight." Peg replied.

"Felt!" Arei and Ry both agreed.

"You think Raven would be up for some purple flame action tonight?" Ry asked.

Arei shrugged. "I don't know, could we do it down here without catching the whole thing on fire?"

Ry looked around then shrugged. "Not sure... but at this point..."

Arei burst out laughing. "Granted the kid gets on my last fuċkɨnġ nerve, I don't think burning his ancestral home to the ground is the best idea."

Ry arched a brow. "You sure? He's probably harassing Jos as we speak."

Arei pretended to think about it for a few seconds longer than necessary. "Nah... then I'd just have him up my ȧss more while he's trying to find somewhere else to live."

"So... water magic then?" Peg asked.

"Looks like it... There's a drain in the center, anyway, might as well." Ry replied.

Arei let out a heavy breath. "I'm not sure which is worse... the smell of wet rot, filth, and death... or the smell of it on fire..." He gave a shudder as memories from the battlefield came flashing back.

Ry clamped a hand on his brother's shoulder. "The sooner we get it done, the sooner it'll be over..."

"Ah... fuċk... Let's do it..." Arei growled as he stepped forward, his tattoos beginning to glow once again. "At least we're close enough to the ocean this time..."

"It's the only pro to be had here tonight..." Peg said as he rolled his neck in a circle causing it to pop in several places, the few tattoos on his body beginning to glow as well.

All three men lifted their hands and made a sweeping motion across what was left of the horrendous dungeon room. Glowing waters materialized and began to wash through the room in a rapid current. Peg was the first to break the bond and back away. "It's not spotless... but it will have to do for tonight. I don't think I have any more in me..."

Ry and Arei nodded. "The worst is over. We can always come back tomorrow and finish." Ry said.

"Or call for a cleaning team..." Peg threw out.

Arei clamped his younger brother's shoulder. "Not a bad idea. I second that one. Fuck ever coming back to this hell hole." He pulled out his phone and waited for Poseidon to pick up. "Hey, let the morgue know the bodies are ready for transport along with the samples for the council."

[Are you boys ready, then]

Arei looked over his brothers. "Yeah... more than you can know!" He'd bȧrėly finished his words when Poseidon materialized.

"Will you all be traveling back to the hospital?" He asked.

Peg shook his head. "I'm going home. I need a hot shower!"

"Same!" Ry said as he pointed to the floors above them. "I'm going upstairs and seeing how much bleach and scalding water it will take to wash this place off me."

Arei frowned. "I better get to Jos first..." He placed his hand on his father's shoulder. "I'm ready when you are."

"Alright, so be it. I'll talk to you tomorrow, Peg. Ry... call me when you're done if we're not back yet."

"Ha... If I'm still awake, sure." Ry said as he made his way to the exit. "I still say we burn this bitch..." He mumbled as his eye moved over the room one last time.