The palace of Krotas.



Thursday December 5th 0500 hrs. even here in the early hours of the morning it never seems to get light, they are here inside the palace of Krotas. Here and now Samantha Bliss will know of Priss’s true alliance’s. There are two guards ahead towards the end of the hall, neither are large in stature and both are unaware of the presence of the silent intruders as they close in on their targets. Samantha slowly pulls loose a long blade from the side of her boot, she nods to Priss, both know that they must take them as quietly as possible, as to not alert other guards who may be roaming the halls. The first one turns almost directly towards her and she thrusts the long blade deep into his throat while Priss is on the other, the last makes a muffled thumping noise as its lifeless body hit’s the floor. Heavy footfalls echo from inside of the door of Krotas ‘s chamber, could it possibly be that easy? Priss has turned to face the sounds, and Samantha bliss can see droplets of blood dripping from her horns. And when Krotas opens the door and Priss sees him standing there half naked, she cannot contain her rage and runs towards the surprised Krotas ramming both of her horns into his abdomen ripping at him while driving him to the floor. She makes contact with her backup.
“Klinger.. You and Milo got the windows?”
Click… hiss..
“Yeah Boss lady we got your back.”
“That’s good, because in a few minutes half of hell is going to be coming up that hallway to have Priss and my asses for breakfast.”
Hearing her own voice mention Priss’s name causes her to return her attention the Krotas ’s chambers, she is there in the doorway with Krotas at her feet, he is battered and mortally wounded, both of his horns have been ripped off at their stems, he tries to speak to her as Priss takes the bloody necklace from his bleeding neck. Behind her she can hear the sounds of running boots coming down the hall, and the sounds of breaking glass indicating that Klinger and Milo are killing whatever has crossed into their line of sight from the rooftop across the street. She enters the chamber where Priss has Krotas.


Sil.



His voice is weak as though he is nothing more than a frightened dying boy, he is covered in his own blood, she stands above him, clutching the bloody necklace defiantly staring down at him, her expressionless face showing no emotion. Suddenly Priss’s true motives for helping Threshold, are becoming clear to Samantha Bliss, on Krotas’s bed there is a naked female like Priss, only much younger.
“You betray your own kind for them Priss? You in your own blackheart, yearn to be human do you? You are just like me Priss Nothing more than a monster to them, and when you have one day outlived your usefulness, they will end your relationship, and you will be returned to us as you are.. Nothing more that a useless bed wench!”
She lowers her weapon and trains it on his forehead.
“I am nothing like you Krotas. And we are certainly not of the same species. Your boss is waiting for you monster.”
She pulls at the trigger and his skull all but disappears. She looks at Samantha Bliss who has now trained her attention on the cowering female laying naked on Krotas’s bed.
Samantha throws her a shirt that was left on the back of a chair.
“Tell her that she is free now Priss. you have the necklace with the stone?”
Priss Nods.
“ Then we need to get out of here right now.”
They exit the room and make their way along the back staircase, here they will be on their own and will not be having Klinger and Milo Tripper to watch their backs, only Lifeguard will be able to see them safely to the basement where they will re enter the tunnel to take them back into the outside world. Click..Hiss..
“Sam?”
“Yes Lifeguard?”
“Four Reds down the hall in front of you and Miss Priss, right before the basement door that you came out of.”
“We’ll Take them Lifeguard.”
A brief exchange of shots before Samantha and Priss hit the tunnel leaves the reds dead in their wake, just before the are ready to re enter Priss Stops her.
“Samantha?”
“Yes?”
She places the necklace in her palm. “I believe this belongs to Threshold now.”
Both hear footsteps coming through the door, and when the young female red appears in the doorway, now fully dressed but still wide eyed and afraid, Priss and Bliss look at each other unsure of what to do.Until finally Samantha smiles and looks at Priss.
“Tell her if she’s coming with us she’d better hurry, we don’t have the luxury of time.”
They all three enter the tunnel together.

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He is sitting on the ground in the middle of the jungle, he is all alone, surrounded by the mist and fog, through it she appears walking towards him, naked, beautiful, now she is right in front of him close enough to touch. Her perfect breasts rise and fall slowly with every breath she takes. She lowers herself on top of him and they begin to feverishly kiss, her hips begin to rhythmically crash against his with each thrust becoming more violent than the last, she throws her head back and close’s her eyes, a slow steady scream escapes from his throat, and he is not certain if it is born of pain or ecstasy.

Silent Falling




Thursday December 5th 0300 hrs. three miles northeast of Mordes Keep. He doesn’t know if it was the sounds of his own screams in his mind, or the thunder and rain that was falling through the trees that caused him to open his eyes. All that Ethan John Klinger knew was when he opened them, he was back in the jungle, rifle in hand awaiting orders from Samantha Bliss. She is standing in a clearing talking to Priss, who has told her the way to get into the Keep unseen, there is an underground storm drain another mile and a half ahead of them, that will take them inside of the Keep.
“How many people can fit into this storm drain?”
“We can all walk through it Samantha, single file but if you have a couple of people lag back and guard the rear it might be best, just in case something gets their attention and brings them to us.”
She considers Priss’s proposal, and decides that she needs more information.
“How far into the Keep will it take us before we could be spotted?”
“Just inside the first wall, but I know a way to get a couple of us inside of Krotas’s palace unseen.”
The decision is made to go forward, and she instructs the team to push on towards the storm drain, Priss carefully leads them through the dark jungle until they are thirty feet from the drain.
“I will go in first Samantha.”
Samantha Bliss puts her hand on Priss’s chest to hold her back. And peers inside of the tunnel.
“Not yet Priss. First lets have a look shall we?”
She takes a small round ball from a compartment in her belt and twists it until she hears a faint clicking noise, and then throws it down the tunnel opening, seconds later, a soft light begins to illuminate their path. She nods to Cowboy, Twitch and Thump, and with weapons drawn they slowly slip into the tunnel while Samantha stops them briefly halfway in for instructions, Priss has moved to the side just out of sight and when Klinger moves into reach she pulls at him and quickly kisses him on the mouth, he backs away surprised, and as she moves around him towards Samantha Bliss she smiles at him and whispers..
“Just for luck baby.”
She enter the tunnel and moves into the lead beside of Samantha Bliss.
Milo Tripper moves up beside of Klinger.
“So.. Kling? Do you want to take that hook out of your mouth before or after we enter the drain?”

Into The Keep



They are now clear of the storm drain, and he and Milo Tripper will take positions at the top of what is left of a deserted seven story building across from what Priss has told them to be the palace of Krotas. Much to their surprise the area is for the moment, unguarded by any significant number of reds. As they make their way down the first corridor the stench of mold and mildew permeates the air, it is damp, cold dark and wet. There are vines growing wildly up the sides of the walls of the building, as they make their way floor by floor uncontested, he hears Samantha’s voice come through his earpiece.
“Klinger.. Let us know when your in position and Priss and I will go into the palace. Lifeguard is telling me that there are multiple targets moving on the other side of the palace but nothing on this side so far, there are three Reds roaming along the corridors inside the palace and there is one inside of a room all by itself. We think our boy is home. ”
He smiles to himself as Milo Tripper opens the door to the roof methodically they slowly move in complete silence to the edge of the building and fall into place. Below the remaining members of team Alpha are securely inside of the Keep in full force, now there is a small city, now there is movement, there are buildings, and most importantly, there are thermo signatures to lock onto. Now Lifeguard has eyes that are working, as team Alpha skillfully move through the darkened streets of Mordes Keep surrounding the Palace of Krotas.
“Lifeguard?.. Have you got eyes yet?”
“Yes Samantha.. They are working just fine now.”
“And your locked onto my team?”
“Yes Ma’am. I can see everything around them, nothing will get to them without me seeing them first, and hey about Priss.. Samantha You Know…”
“Yeah, that thought has already crossed my mind. But don’t worry hon, I’m not exactly stupid you know, we’ll be fine.”
“Just be careful in there, and keep your head down.”
Priss removes a manhole cover and nods towards the opening, Samantha Bliss takes in a deep breath and follows her down into what will take them inside of the palace. Once they are both inside, Priss pulls the cover back over the opening.

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Along The Straits.



Wednesday December 4th, 2069 The Jericho Straits.
2100 hrs. Twenty six miles from Mordes Keep . She is there, right in front of him, in this brilliant moonlight he can see her clearly as his eyes slowly move up and down the length her body, where she stands at the front of the vessel that is taking them once again down the Jericho Straits. Demon, woman, or whatever else you may call this individual known as Priss, one Ethan John Klinger is clearly enchanted by her visual attributes. Milo Tripper has taken notice and silently moves in beside of Klinger and studies the captivating Priss.
“You can’t be seriously considering what I think you may be considering can you Kling?”
With a cold indifferent silence, his stare slowly drifts in the direction of Milo Tripper but his head doesn’t move. he isn’t smiling, and Milo can see it , right there in his eyes, there is something suddenly different about Klinger now. Priss turns her head towards what will be their landing zone, and he knows that the conversation that he is trying to have with Klinger will have to wait for another time. She walks towards the cabin where Samantha Bliss is making contact with Lifeguard, and as Priss passes him, she looks at Klinger and smiles, Tripper sees how her Threshold uniform, follows every contour of her perfect body, and Demon, woman or not, horns and all, there is nothing that Milo will be able to say or do to keep them apart if it is Priss’s will to have Klinger as her lover. They make it to the landing zone and they muster just ten miles out from the keep, the straits have made it painfully easy for them to be this close as the reds clearly want nothing to do with the waters of the straits They rarely come this far north Priss tells them.
“In fact we should be almost three miles from the Keep before we even have to really start watching what we are doing, that where the serious patrols start.” she tells Samantha Bliss that this particular path will take them three miles into the jungle before they turn to the southeast to get to the Keep. They walk on in silence with two columns, one on each side of the path, Samantha too has seen the curious exchange of looks between Klinger and Priss, and has decided wisely to keep them apart as much as possible. Priss walks in front of Samantha’s column while Klinger takes the point of the other column, all of the while The skywatch satellites tell Lifeguard what to tell Bliss about what is happening on the ground around them in the failing light. As they make their way through the first mile of jungle none can help but feel as though they are walking an alien landscape, as mounds of unfamiliar looking earth swell up around them with black trees that seem to go on forever with each spinning endless miles of Vines covering them from the light, they are now farther in than any human has been in five years.

Breaking Nightfall.



It seems as though it is as pitch black as any night could be, The progress along the winding path leading into the jungle surrounding Mordes Keep is very slow and tedious. It would appear at times, as though even Priss is unsure of direction here. sky watches satellites have no thermo activity to lock onto, the only heat signatures that are seen belong to the bodies of the members of team Alpha, and so Lifeguard cannot lead them through it.
“I’m getting nothing from Skywatch except you Sam, the only other thing that I’ll be able to catch is if any reds try to sneak up on you, better tell your team its time to break out the night vision glasses, time to trust your own eyes, I’ll keep mine open just in case.”
She holds her hand up in a closed fist to her column and silently crosses the path towards Klinger and tells the team to break out the night vision glasses, upon hearing her own words, she wonders to herself why she hadn’t done that to begin with, perhaps she was becoming too reliant on Lifeguard being there to always warn her of impending dangers hidden in her path. She needed to start trusting herself more again, and even though the whole team hated wearing the glasses, they all wore them only when told to, for after awhile, some would begin to get headaches after seeing the world through them for hours at a time. She slowly pulls the glasses over her forehead and clicks the soft button on the side and watches as the night lights up and slowly comes to life. Ahead of her Priss slowly struggles with her glasses, she can’t seem to get them to navigate over her horns. Samantha almost smiles and moves up behind her to give aid, they give way and she moves them over Priss’s eyes and whispers to her to close them until she turns the glasses on and when she opens them she draws a deep breath.
“Well, at least we know one thing Samantha Bliss.”
“Yes? And what might that be?”
“My eyes work in the same way as yours do.”
She puts her hand on Samantha’s cheek and slowly rubs the back of her fore finger along its length and whispers to her.
“ I know that no one here but Klinger trusts me, but I am going to prove myself to you Samantha, I’m going to put the bullet or knife into Krotas’s hollow heart myself and rip that necklace off from his dead neck and bring it to you.”
“I already know that you’re not like them Priss, and as for trust, mine isn’t easily won, but if we make it through this and end up back at Threshold without you betraying my team, that will be a large step in the right direction concerning trust.”
Priss smiles and nods, she pulls the plasma rifle out in front of her and slowly makes her way into the black jungle, Samantha and team Alpha silently follow.. They would be at Mordes Keep by dawn.

***** First Break. *****

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The Realm of Krotas.



Tuesday December 3rd 2069, Threshold headquarters. Langley Virginia. 1600 hrs.
They are all sitting in conference #1. Field agent and Alpha Team leader Samantha Bliss patiently listens while the two young men stand before her and the director of field operations. Arnold Winthrop and his deputy director William Strong. They have been rambling on about the steps that have been taken to decipher the map found in the cylinder . Other matters however have taken a greater importance in this meeting, and as the young men shuffle out the door they are replaced with another operative carrying a manila envelope. He hands it to Arnold Winthrop and turns to leave. He rises to face Samantha Bliss.
“Agent Bliss, we have it on good authority that one of the stones that you spoke of may be in possession of one of the Red generals, and he is at the southeast corner of Cape Nazareth in a place the reds have been calling Mordes Keep.”
He opens the envelope and takes out several photographs and lays them out on the table for her to inspect. She leans forward to look at them.
“One of our field operatives took these pictures from a distance of one mile, from him, these were taken on a beach head near the Cape, five days ago they are grainy images at best but we have been told that his name is Krotas, he wears the stone around his neck on a chain, our intel tells us that he is now in Mordes Keep and will remain there for several weeks.”
She eyes him suspiciously.
“And just how did we come by this information?”
“All we can tell you is that a second Red detainee from another facility, was close to Krotas, They told us that an attempt on Krotas’s life was made recently, and he hides in the Keep now because he is very fearful of assassination.”
She smiles and rolls her eyes at the prospect.
“And we go in and cap the General and swipe the stone that is no doubt procured under heavy guard.”
He nods to the affirmative and passes her the picture of Krotas.
“We have come to terms with a special operative that will show you how to get into the Keep undetected, they can take you right to Krotas without so much as a hitch.”
Her curiosity now aroused she draws a slow deep breath. As she watches the Director of Field operations motion to the guard to open the door.
And soon their young guest Priss enters the room with two armed guards at her side, she sits down beside Samantha Bliss who has a look of complete shock on her face.
“Agent.. Your team will Muster in the assignment room at 1900 hrs. You will leave first thing in the morning, and Operative Priss is going with you.”

Priss Revealed.




She sits listening to Priss explain the situation to her, she seems more confident and somewhat less innocent now, as she explains in painstaking detail about the routines of Krotas’s guardsmen. How they alternate Watch details, when they change shifts when they come, when they go, she knows the grounds, inside and out and she explains to Samantha and Klinger that she has been in and out of the keep several times, and she has traveled the route that they will be taking more than once. Suddenly things have become clear to Samantha Bliss, Priss is sounding less like an innocent little bed wench and more like a highly trained and skilled assassin, it has occurred to her, that Thresholds impeccable intelligence capabilities had learned of Priss’s existence some time ago. It has occurred to Samantha Bliss, that she and Team Alpha were sent into the Cape to retrieve someone that they themselves had sent there to begin with. Much has occurred to Samantha Bliss in the last twenty five minutes. It was not the first time that sweet Miss Priss was a guest of Threshold, and she was perhaps even more dangerous than any member of Team Alpha ever thought of being. Priss was Thresholds Mata Hari, and Samantha and her entire team had bought the act.
“So do you want to tell me Priss? Or am I going to have to continue guessing about how you became involved with Threshold?”
Priss smiles that smile and studies her and Klinger.
“Please Samantha. You mustn’t be angry with me, every thing that I told you on the boat that day was true, Ambala the Bitch and all, I was Krotas’s bed wench one and a half years ago, and I did run away, but they never caught me the first time, because I ran to Threshold, I told them everything that I knew about the inner workings of the red army, so we struck up a deal and they and sent me back to the Cape where I allowed myself to be captured again, I got close to Krotas again but when I tried to wax his sorry red ass, one of his guards got in the way and took my shot intended for him. I escaped and was captured again for real, they beat me and I escaped again, they caught me at the brim and started to take me back to the cape for execution, that’s when you showed up.”
Samantha Bliss studies her for a time.
“So.. You want to tell me why your picture was in that cylinder? Was that for real?”
“That particular outpost had my picture because I am a traitor, they want me disposed of, you finding the cylinder during the Jessica Bradley rescue was completely coincidental, I’m guessing that’s why Threshold sent you to get me, because they knew that the reds were looking for me, I’m a traitor to them Samantha.”
“And you had already told Threshold what you knew about the four stones?”
“Yes”
“So the only importance of the cylinder was the map that we accidentally found?”
“There are several maps that lead to the holy place Samantha, you found one of them.”
“Get some rest, if your going with us we leave tomorrow morning.”
Samantha watches her rise to leave the room, and looks over at Klinger,he returns the glance with a bit of confusion attached to it. Something tugged at her that there was more at work here that a field operative was privy to.. There was more to learn behind the scenes.

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Grhee's Mistake.



Wednesday November 26th 2069. 0900
He is sitting in the exact posture that she’d seen him in last, his right leg bent at the knee, ankle resting and draped over the other knee, his shirt unbuttoned to reveal his massive red colored chest. he hasn’t at all been put off by still being a detainee here at the Threshold compound, and he continues to give his interviewers the run around. The red monster known as Grhee seems to be in his element and has no problem with being the center of attention, he in fact seems gleeful at times, that is until he sees the familiar form of Samantha Bliss enter the room. She looks down at him as she passes by on her way to the other side of the table, in her hands she holds the metallic cylinder that was recovered from the Battery Park bunker, she sees it in his eyes that he immediately recognizes it, and his whole demeanor changes instantly. He lunges towards her swiping his hands at it.
“That doesn’t belong to you wench! Give it here!!”
She side steps him easily and he falls, and as he regains his footing she slams the cylinder into his mouth knocking him back to the floor and jarring several rotting teeth loose. the guards come in and take him back to his holding cell and she follows them. She knows that the sight of the metal cylinder has struck a nerve in him, and now she must push him further if she is going to figure out the significance of the documents that were locked inside of it along with the picture of Priss. She stands outside of his cell and watches him closely.
“ So Grhee.. Do you want to share with me why this cylinder is so damn important?”
“Go fuck yourself chicky.”
“Well.. I guess we don’t need you anymore anyways, with Priss helping us and all, maybe she can tell me why its so special to your kind.”
“Fuck that whore traitor bitch Priss too! It don’t matter what you do Chicky! It doesn’t matter what you know- see? Its like this.. Once the Demon league of nations are all together in the holy place, we march on humanity, we take this precious earth of yours for ourselves, and for our Queen. Fuck you chicky! Once we take power I’m gonna fuck you and make you my whore.”
She smiles and leans forward, rubbing her breasts up against the bars slightly.
“Grhee?”
He looks at her up and down but doesn’t answer.
“Your ignorant, dumb red ass, couldn’t handle me if I was naked and sitting on the end of your nose.”
As she is walking down the hall she can hear Grhee’s angry voice echoing along behind her, now she must talk with Priss.

Up From Below.



She walks into the room and right away the lady red called Priss’s eyes light up. Samantha Bliss!! The guards watch her closely as she warmly jumps up and gives agent Bliss a hug. Samantha nods to them and they relax a bit, and the two sit down together and Samantha asks the guards to stand outside the door so she and Priss can talk.
“Priss ? Do you know a male red called Grhee?”
She blinks, and pauses to think of the name before answering.
“I don’t think so, is he the one who says he can smell me, and calls me names like whore and bitch?”
“He is a detainee here who tried to attack me a little while ago.”
“Are you okay Samantha?”
“Yes Priss, but I’m afraid I need your help if possible.”
Her posture changes immediately and she becomes very excited at the possibility of helping whom she considers her one and only friend Samantha Bliss. She places the cylinder on the table, while Priss watches her every move.
“Sweetie, can you tell me what this is?”
She smiles and looks at Samantha and then without the slightest bit of hesitation.
“It belongs to a military courier Samantha, they carry important documents in them, usually of military importance.”
“Could you translate such documents Priss?”
She removes some rolled up papers from the cylinder and places them on the table across from Priss. She reads them carefully and looks up sadly at Samantha Bliss.
“It speaks of the Demon League of Nations, uniting at the holy place and Marching on Humankind. It speaks of the four orbs of Kallos, and bringing them together to open one large gate at the holy place so that the whole red army may pass through it all at once.”
“What are the four orbs of Kallos?”
“They were once one stone that was created by the hand of the dark sorcerer Kallos for his god Lucifer, it was supposed to be used as a key to the gateway to hell, but it was lost here on earth, and when the humans discovered the stone and its purpose they tried to destroy it. The stone was damaged and broken into four parts but not destroyed, the humans sent the four stones to different parts of the world to keep it separated, Ambala’s army has recovered two parts of the stone, and two of her generals wear them around their necks.”
“But how do you get here if there isn’t already a gate open somewhere?”
Priss seems more concerned now and is eager to explain.
Small portals allow us mere seconds to pass through them.. Only a few at one time though. And only naked.”
Samantha tells her that she will return and that she must talk with her superiors about this. The two exchange hugs again and Agent Samantha Bliss leaves the room.

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