Tales Of Cohesion Squad

Whatever it was, it had Hostage cussing a blue streak.

Sadie and Byrne (who were pretty much inseparable these day), along with Xalyn and Aggie, were in the small kitchen area of the big banquet hall cabin thing.

Scraps was momentarily off doing stuff, but Phoebe was there, the giant Bengal licked her chops in anticipation of whatever these idiots were getting up to.

They were in the kitchen, Phoebe noted, that was always a good thing.

Hostage was whipping up some kind of fruit salad and had gone into the big room-sized pantry for a few things when all of a sudden the gang heard the sound of broken glass and Hostage succinctly saying: “God blessed motherlovin’ son of a gun!”

They were in motion instantly, and Byrne had to comment, “Does he kiss his mother with that mouth?”

They all bombed into the pantry to find Hostage calmly standing with his hands out in front of him, in a bit of an apology or surrender, “Guys.”

“What is it Hostage? What’s up?” Byrne asked, “You just drop something? Its cool, I’ll clean it up. You didn’t cut yourself did you?”

“No.” Hostage said, “And I don’t want to complain, but...can you just warn me if there’s gonna be a new ghost, like, lurking about. I nearly peed myself.”

“New ghost?” Sadie asked, “What new ghost?”

SUNDOWNERS

“Are...are you guys messing with me right now?” Hostage asked.

Part One

Scavenger Haunt

Phoebe padded into the pantry.

Assessed the situation.

Clearly whatever was going on was going to delay any food preparation and distribution.

Most likely for the remainder of the evening.

Maybe indefinitely.

With a lick to her own nose that could have been - and probably was - an insult, the three hundred kilogram cat excused herself to go find someone’s bed to lay on and bathe, which, if done properly, would take her the rest of the night.

“We have to treat this as a breach.” Byrne said.

“Agreed.” Sadie said.

“Yes.” Xalyn concurred, “Hostage saw an unfamiliar ghost, the first thing I think of is spy.”

Agathea said nothing, she just shimmered out of existence.

“Alright.” Byrne said, “Let’s go tell the others. Hostage stay close to us, yeah?”

“No problem.” Hostage said, “Trust me.”

Agathea sizzled back into existence, floating in the air and holding a struggling, adult male ghost up in the air by the back of his neck.

With one hand.

“Does this fit the description of the intruder ghost you saw?!” Aggie asked, kind of aggressively.

“Um...” Hostage blinked, “Well, no, Aggie...”

“Bloody hell, Agathea!” The struggling ghost, whose name was O’Shaughnessy said, “You bleedin’ know me! Hostage bleedin’ knows me!”

Agathea released him, “Just trying to eliminate all the suspects.”

“I’ll eliminate your suspects, ya daft little bint!”

He was still bitching when he shimmered from existence, back to his own business that he was minding before she grabbed him.

“Okay then, I’ll sweep the grounds and see what I can find.” Agathea decided.

“Aggy, if you find it, observe only, do not engage.” Byrne said, “We don’t know who or what we’re dealing with.”

“Okiedokie.” Aggy said, then: “You know you’re cute when you’re all overprotective.”

“Then they must be cute all the time.” Xalynfein half-mumbled.

Sadie smiled, emerald eyes twinkling, “They are cute all the time.”

“Eww!” Scraps’s voice as he appeared in the doorway, “What kinda lovey-dovey crap am I walk -- what’s all over the floor? Did Phoebe break that? I’ll put her striped ass in time out.”

“We’ll explain on the way.” Byrne said, “We need to talk to Prime and Two.”

“Using call signs?” Scraps asked, “What the hell did I miss? What could have possibly happened while I was taking a whiz?”

“Come on, I’ll explain on the way.” Byrne said.

“Ghost recon!” Aggie said and vanished.

“I also want to check the grounds as you inform the others.” Xalynfein said. She had a suspicion of her own, but better to not bring it up until she had confirmed it.

Byrne opened their mouth, Xalyn beat them to it.

“I’ll be careful, *flamgra*.” Xalyn assured.

“Please do, dalninil.” Byrne said. Then immediately when she was gone, to Sadie: “I’m a fuckin’ Mother Hen, aren’t I? Aren’t I, Sadie? You can tell me.”

“Byrne, maybe just a little.” She held her pointer and thumb up in a “C” symbolizing a small amount, “But its a potentiallly dangerous situation, sweetheart, so you’re justified.”

“Well, you guys are the first friends I’ve ever had so I don’t know how to act.” Byrne admitted, “Well, you know, unless people are throwing grenades at us and shit.”

“Excuse me.” Scraps said calmly, “What potentially dangerous situation?”

Scraps turned to Hostage, “And why do you look so wigged out, H?”

“Holy mackerel.” An irritated voice from nearby, “Did you guys go to Xomania for that friggin’ grub?” Eric Trazk shook his head, “You know them cards ain’t gonna play themselves. Your money is not just gonna give itself to me.”

“Change of plans.” Byrne said, “Follow us.”

“Shit, I had a really good hand too.” Trazk said.

The night around Xalynfein was alive and talking to her. Every sense was raw and alert.

Most of this wouldn’t help her hunt ghosts of course, but that was okay.

She didn’t think she was hunting a ghost.

Ghosts didn’t have scents.

Even among dark elves, Xalynfein had an incredibly heightened sense of smell.

It came in just as handy on a hunt as you would think it would.

She had picked up the strange scent immediately, right in the pantry.

Strong even over the broken jar of pickled whatevers that Hostage had dropped.

A scent like the spiciest of flowers.

Not unpleasant at all.

Whoever the bearer of this scent was was all over the place, and moving fast.

The campground was a red blur around the intruder as she darted from shadow to shadow.

Faster than the eye could see.

She’d heard everything they had said after the surprisingly acute senses of the kitchen guy had clocked her presence.

Impressive actually.

And the quick ghost theory they had come up with, given what little information they had, was reasonable.

It wasn’t overconfidence on her part that had gotten her spotted for that fraction of a second, she knew.

These people weren’t idiots. She was very careful, she knew she was dealing with skilled individuals.

Odd and quirky, sure. And she liked that.

But also very skilled.

This point was driven home when she stopped moving for a second in the shadow of a cabin and found a blade at her throat.

A blade so sharp that just idly resting against the flesh of her throat had cut the skin.

She hadn’t caught even a hint of the other’s presence until it was too late.

“Hi.” Xalynfein said.

She smiled, “Not bad. Its been a long time since someone got the drop on me.”

“You don’t smell human.” Xalyn said.

“Kinda rude.”

And with that, their positions were reversed.

In an instant.

Where Xalyn had been behind her with the blade at her throat, now she was behind Xalyn with the same blade at her grey throat.

“Oh.” Xalyn said simply.

“Don’t feel bad, gorgeous.” She said, “You are superb, superior, but I’m supernatural, so your skills are superfluous.”

“What are you?” Xalyn asked, almost conversationally.

“Vampire.” She said. “But that isn’t the reason why I really want to bite your neck right now.”

“And what are you doing here?”

“Well, Hell.” She tossed the dagger in the air and caught it by the blade, then offered it back to Xalyn handle-first. “Why don’t you introduce me to everyone and I’ll tell you all about it. I’m Luca.”

The half-jog from the kitchen area across the camp to where Digarmo and Jettlyn were seemed to take *forever*.

I picked up on your thoughts. Tantrick’s voice in Byrne’s head, Everything okay?

You monitoring us now? Byrne asked, a little more accusatory than they meant.

Um, am I not -- don’t friends do that?

I’m sorry Tantrick, Byrne said and meant it, You’re right, of course. Where are you, by the way?

Um, Hope? Well, right by there.

Hope? Byrne asked. As in the capitol of Firstland? As in half a world away?

Okay. Tantrick said simply.

Damn, you really do have global range. Byrne said, So hey, can you -

Who’s that?

Who’s who? Byrne asked.

The new person, with Xalyn, her thoughts are sweaty and inappropriate.

Tantrick. Byrne said calmly, Could you link the Squad up please?

Happily, Byrne.

The odd pair walked side by side.

Xalyn was taking her straight to Digarmo.

And sneaking glances at her.

Luca smiled over at her, “So, were you gonna tell me your name, or...?”

“Xalynfein.”

Luca’s smile widened, “Z- Zay Lin Fayn?”

“Yes, Xalynfein.”

“Well, that’s fucking awesome.”

Xalyn smiled, somewhat sheepishly, and shook her head, “You’re only saying that to flirt.”

“Well, I wasn’t, but if you want to take it that way.”

Xalyn chuckled despite herself. Stay focused.

“Did I make you uncomfortable?” She asked. She seemed sincere, Xalyn thought.

“It takes more than that.” Xalyn smiled, “But are you always this aggressive? With everyone?”

Luca stopped walking and their eyes locked.

Xalyn found herself nearly swimming in Luca’s dimly glowing red eyes.

“No, I’m not.” Luca said softly, “But when I see something I want I go after it.”

Xalyn noticed the flush, burning heat that rose in her cheeks at that.

Burning, hungry heat in other parts of her body as well.

Stay. Focused.

“What about you, Xalynfein?” Luca asked, “Do you go right after what you want?”

“Yes, I do.” She nodded, a smile touching her lips, “And right now what I want is answers.”

“Oh, well that’s very simple.” Luca smiled again, “The answer...is yes.”

Stay! Fo! Cussed!

You’re linked. Tantrick said.

Thank you. Byrne said, then: Byrne. Prime.

Go for Digarmo. Good work, Byrne.

I’m -- what? Byrne stopped in their tracks, then remembered to walk, I don’t understand.

You will. She said, then: Prime. Cohesion. Everyone to the Briefing area. Tantrick.

Yes, Prime.

Link Hostage up, as well.

Sure, if he’s agreeable to it.

What?

Yes, Prime.

Prime. Xalynfein.

Go for Xalyn.

How’s our visitor?

Xalynfein stole a sideways glance at Luca and couldn’t keep the slightly hungry smile from her face, Very...cooperative.