"Only if you stay here and let me go to the Jamaican's - alone!"
"I'll go take out the Jamaican right now while you hunt," Nuit offered. "Let them remain here, and feed. You go hunt, and gather yourself. By the time you get back, the Jamaican will be ash. Fair exchange is no robbery. Some ethics must be adhered to, or there'd be no honor left in the land." Nuit sighed and nonchalantly wiped the gore off his suit.
"Peace. It's all good." Alejandro shrugged and glanced at his feeding friends who also just shrugged.
"Whatever," Carlos snarled and bound up the steps.
Nuit licked his fingers. "He's coming down - Neteru's wearing off, and he's going to be nasty and hard to live with for a while, until he eats and regains his composure."
Alejandro nodded. "Whatchu gonna do? You know my brother has always been stubborn. You offered him a Valium," he said, glancing at the remains of the girl on the floor. "But he didn't want one."
Nuit shook his head and sighed. "My stubborn son... what will I do with Carlos?"
The group murmured agreement, snarled, and continued to eat.
"Sanctuary! In the name of God, we claim sanctuary, Neteru! The Covenant needs your protection! Open the doors!"
"We got hot body readings - two," J.L. yelled across the room. "On camera and incoming!"
The guardians all stared at the screen as a sword-bearing knight of Templar in a blue catholic priest's robe huddled against the compound door with a Moslem cleric. Both were yelling, brandishing weapons, and looking behind them as though something invisible, but horrible, was chasing them.
Marlene gasped. "Open up fast, and let them in!"
Rider swore hard as he paced between the monitors and weapons table. Shabazz, Big Mike, and Dan got to their feet as well.
"It's like a revolving door tonight," Shabazz muttered. "But they're human, let 'em in out of the dark."
Big Mike picked up a cannon. "Get Damali, Mar. This is deep."
Within moments, the huge metal doors unlocked as J.L. worked the control panel, and the terrified men rushed through it. UV lights flooded the hall and their boots splashed through the receding puddles that had been caused by the sprinkler system.
The team waited for them at the end of the hall, both sides still waving weapons.
"Hold up!" Shabazz yelled as they neared the entrance to the equipment room. "Damali's been through enough tonight. She doesn't need any additional drama, and ain't throwing down in no battles that aren't hers. You need to know that up front, so state your business."
"We need to get word to the Neteru. An important message from On High."
"Stand down," Marlene ordered, "and let them in."
No words were exchanged as the motley team quickly advanced into the weapons room. They were dirty, ragged, looked like they'd been in a serious battle. Both of them were breathing hard. The guardian team glanced at each other in confusion. Damali ran down the hall, hearing the commotion, and came to a halt, her eyes widening in surprise. She stepped forward and looked at the one dressed in royal blue who wore a cross.
Immediately the man before her dropped to one knee and turned his sword to point down, the hilt facing the ceiling. The other man followed suit, their heads bowed in deference. She stood there, shocked, not knowing what to make of it.
"I am a knight of Templar, and Asula is of the Moorish order. There are twelve of us total, and we all form the Covenant. We pledge our allegiance from all sectors. Neteru, it is an honor that we never thought we'd achieve. Bless you."
"A Templar knight?" Marlene whispered, then blew out a long breath. "Oh, y'all, this is big. Trust me. These guys usually don't do house calls - only visions."
Dumbstruck, Damali glanced around at her team. Shabazz shrugged, Marlene stood wide-eyed, even Rider looked perplexed. Everyone in her group simply stared.
"Uh, gentlemen," Damali began slowly. "Ummm... well, first, stand up."
Damali stood back as the men before her slowly stood, looking at each other for approval to do so.
"I don't quite understand," she said slowly.
"The fallen have begun amassing forces tonight," the man in blue said. "Your compound was surrounded, just outside of the line of light." He used his sword to point toward the windows as he continued to explain.
"We kept hidden in the foliage around the dwelling inside the ring of light. Then, mysteriously, the lights went out for a few seconds."