The Dark Edge Chronicles - Clan War

Dublin

Truk frowned as red and blue lights filled the platform area, hordes of waiting paramedics and police anxiously waiting for the train to pull to a stop.

"You think that's Lash's doing?" he asked. Narcist shrugged.

"I hope so. Either way, unless the White Flames want a repeat of the Galway bus depot, there should be enough chaos out there for us to slip clear and make for the Ventru safehouse without another attack."

Then they were both looking up as the Irish lilith appeared at Truk's shoulder, her M'tada in a cordon around her.

"It would appear my wolf has secured a way for us to win free from the train," she said almost musingly. Then, in a firmer, more professional tone:

"Please accept the thanks of Clan O'Broin in assisting us with many important matters this day. Strength to Ventru and luck in your upcoming battles to clear your clan's name!"

Both Ventru nestari respectfully bowed their heads.

"Thank you, night mistress," Narcist added. "We will pass on your thanks to a Lord of the Clan as soon as we can. Strength to O'Broin."

Fiadh nodded in acknowledgement. Then she and her M'tada were sweeping out of sight, likely to use the chaos outside to effect their own extraction, pulling their veil-like daycloaks over their faces before disappearing. A heartbeat later the train was coming to a stop.

"And I believe that's our cue to also quit this train," Truk pointed out.

"Should we wait for Lash?" Narcist said, stowing her tablet in her backpack as she stood. Truk shook his head.

"If I know the man, he'll be waiting for us outside somewhere, tapping his foot with impatience that it took us so long to get off the damn train!"

The paramedics were carrying people off the rear part of the train on stretchers by the time Truk and Narcist were on the platform. Police were everywhere, mostly An Garda Siochana, or more simply Garda, officers, with a knot of what looked like Interpol agents interviewing the survivors.

The two Ventru carefully avoided those. And in doing so, walked past a little girl having her face bandaged by a paramedic while she sat on a gurney.

" ... and he said his name was Lash and he was a soldier there to help us!" the little girl was saying as they moved into hearing range. "He even saved my mum and da!"

The two Ventru exchanged a quick look. The Wolf of Frankfurt? The rescuer of humans? Then a familiar dark presence was joining them just as they moved out of hearing range of the little girl. But not before the little girl spotted Lash and energetically waved, a big smile on her face. A wave, to Truk and Narcist's surprise, he returned with a smile of his own.

Then, once again, he was grim dark, as was his habit.

"And before you ask, I was protecting the dark secret," he rumbled. "The Hand openly attacked human civilians outside of a legitimate hunt, in the middle of the day. Then left over fifty survivors as witnesses."

"Idiots," Truk growled with a sneer as Narcist's own frown became a look of understanding. "So infatuated with their pogrom, that they put all the Children at risk with this ill-conceived attack, not just Ventru."

"We'll just have to remind them of their folly, Truk," Narcist said, sounding as grim as Lash normally did. "One bullet in the head at a time!"

Thankfully the holdout was as close to the train station as Lash had promised. Without Hand agents getting in their way, or needing to look over their shoulders for White Flames, the three Ventru were able to swiftly make their way the two or three blocks from the station to the safehouse. With Lash's biometrics still in the system, the armored door let them in without hesitation and, for the first time in the last twenty four hours, they felt safe.