The OP Lich is a Returnee, Chapter 57 (Patreon)

Chapter 57 – Bad Decisions

Agent Emilia Jackson was having second thoughts about the wisdom of their decision to break into the SAS base. She wasn’t alone in that. She could see it in the way the whole team moved. They were tense, nervous. Not like how they normally were when they were going on an op.

That much was probably to be expected, of course. This wasn’t just any facility they were sneaking into, after all. This was a military base, and the home turf of the freaking SAS! They might not have the same kind of fame back home that the SEALs or Delta Force had, but she knew that they were legends in their own right. Breaking into their house wasn’t the smartest plan ever.

On the other hand, England was an ally of the US, so, assuming the guards didn’t shoot on sight, then there was a good chance that the worst that would happen if they were caught was that they’d be arrested. Their careers would effectively be over, but it wouldn’t become an international incident. At least, not publicly. A deal would probably be worked out behind the scenes to get them released, and they would spend the rest of their government service slaving away as analysts at Langley, but that was it. Probably.

No, the real problem came from the real target. They weren’t targeting the SAS, after all, but the undead who were leading some kind of training regimen on the base. They needed to capture any training materials they could. Even better would be to capture one of the trainers, themselves.

Of course, those trainers were all undead, of some sort. They hadn’t been able to get any clear shots of them, but long-range photographs made it look like there were two types. Some were literally skeletons, like out of a fantasy novel, and the rest were some kind of ghoulish decayed-looking creature. Oh, plus the one in charge, but he looked almost human, according to the pictures.

Their being undead was a problem. They had come equipped with nonlethal ordinance, to not escalate situations if they were forced to take out some guards, but that wouldn’t work against the Undead. After all, how do you drug someone who doesn’t have a living body? How do you choke out a corpse that doesn’t need to breathe?

Langley had, apparently, considered something like that. They had provided some kind of device that they were certain would be able to contain an undead creature, and allow for transport. The problem was that the device was completely untested, even against ‘native’ undead! And these were the super-powerful undead that the Lich Queen had brought back with her after forty years of war, or something like that!

But that wasn’t her call to make. Langley needed to know what the training regimen the Undead were giving the Brits. The Japs and Chinese were already getting the same training, as well. If they didn’t do something soon, then they would be left behind, militarily. And that was simply unacceptable. How would America maintain its primacy in the world without the military might to back it up?

They probably should start learning how to play nice with others, then, instead of trying to bully their way around.

Emilia grit her teeth as that thought entered, unbidden, into her head. There was some truth too that, of course. But there were too many people at home, both in office and in the general public, who thought that the US could do no wrong, because they were the best, and had been for longer than they were alive.

That’s a lie, of course. Even before magic came to this world, that was only propaganda.

She frowned. That thought wasn’t like her. Oh, sure, she had spent enough time abroad, and read enough reports, to know that it was true, but she wouldn’t have put it like that, even in her own thoughts. She would have said ‘before the Awakening’, instead of ‘before magic came to this world’. That was an odd turn of phrase.

Wait. That wasn’t her ‘voice’! There was someone projecting thoughts into her head!

Oh, dear. Looks like you noticed. I guess we’ll have to move to the next step, then.

She reached for her radio, to call out a warning to the group, but a hand flashed out of the darkness, and caught it. Suddenly, a figure in armor, with pale skin, pointed ears, and red eyes was standing in front of her, and another hand grabbed her jaw, holding her head straight.

“Mmm. You are a pretty one. It has been a while since I took a bride. There were never any good-looking prospects in the war, you see, or the few that did catch my fancy were already dead and raised by the time I found them, and my mortal wives did not wish to join me in undeath. But you? I think you would make a lovely bride.”

Emilia tried to speak, but a scream from ahead cut her off. The undead monster in front of her just smiled. “Oh, dear. It seems your friends just ran into the rest of my team. Don’t worry, they won’t go to waste. The ghouls have their enchantments so they can go sustain themselves with mana instead of flesh, but that doesn’t mean they don’t hunger for the real thing.”

The monster just laughed at the look of horror in her eyes. “Oh, don’t worry, my pretty. I won’t let the terrifying ghouls eat you. That privilege is all mine. But first, introductions. Your name is?”

She tried to resist, but it was like there was a weight pressing on her mind. Before she knew it, she was speaking. “E-Emilia Jackson.”

The monster smiled at her. “Very good. I am Sergeant Major Laeroth Aesys, but you will call me ‘Master’.” She saw a flash of fangs, and then her world dissolved into pain and bliss and blissful pain, and all went black.

(Elsewhere)

The Central Committee had approved more traditional methods, as expected. It would take some time to properly set up a direct-action team in Japan, but that was not the case in the United States. Instead, they merely had to activate a team that had already been inserted long before. They would not even need to arrange for a special loadout, either.

The team had actually been working together for some time, now, doing missions almost exactly like this one. Of course, those missions were on behalf of the Vory, strengthening ties between the government and the underworld. They would kidnap attractive young American women, and bring them to Russia, where they would serve those in power, or be sold along to the Reformed Caliphate.

This ‘package’, of course, was not going to be going into the slave trade. She was far too valuable as leverage. She would be restrained, but not violated or forced to take drugs to ensure compliance. That would ruin their negotiations.

“One, Lead. Target in sight. No security presence. Over.”

The team leader nodded to himself. Just as he expected. The target was a student, after all. While she had important family, she wasn’t all that important, herself, which meant that she could blend in with the crowd of other students. A bodyguard would just draw attention to her.

Not that having a bodyguard would have changed anything. They’d taken those with bodyguards before. Usually for ransom, sometimes for revenge. Once, a contact in the Caliphate apparently demanded to have the daughter of a business rival delivered to him after the rival refused to allow him to pursue her. They’d all had bodyguards, and they’d all been taken anyways. His people were professionals.

“Lead, One. Very good, One. Keep target under observation. When an opportunity presents itself, capture target. Over.”

“One, Lead. Understood. One, out.”

(Lich Queen’s Castle)

I smiled as I listened to the report from my people in England. It may have been nearing midnight in England, but it was only a quarter to eight in the morning here in Japan. Of course, the undead had no need for sleep, but that was beside the point.

I was not using a phone. While they were just as handy as they were before I was summoned to the other world, they were not secure. Instead, for communicating with my undead when they were far afield, I used the same kind of magical communicators that we used in the other world. In this case, we were using a Mirror Network.

The essence of a Mirror Network was simple enough. Each mirror was bound by blood (or something similar, for undead), so that only one person could use each mirror. When you put your magic into the mirror, and called out someone’s name, the mirror would form a connection, allowing you to see and hear what the other mirror did, and vice-versa. This allowed secure communications to anyone in the network.

There were problems, of course. Mirrors could get lost or stolen, or they could break just as easily as a phone might. There was no such thing as voicemail, call waiting, or anything like that. Conference calls were not possible, either. And there was always the concern about what a traitor might be able to do with one, which is why no army relied solely on mirror networks.

In the case of the Sergeant Major, the mirror was not the only tool I gave him. A ‘burner’ phone, set up primarily to send text messages, was used to send a message to me, with a single word, ‘mirror’, and I could do the same for him. The other side would then give a time frame for when they could get back to the mirror. That allowed the mirrors to remain hidden, or in places where they could not be used to spy on their owners, without sacrificing too much of their utility. Much more convenient than some of the systems we’d used in the other world.

“Yes, Sergeant Major, I agree with your actions. The base commander essentially gave you permission, and what they don’t know, officially, won’t hurt anyone. The bones are properly taken care of, I hope?”

“Yes, your Majesty. They were placed in dimensional storage, for when we return to Japan. Bones help make for a good soup stock, I believe.”

“Yes, I’m aware. I may not need to eat, myself, but I have shared some meals with the ghouls in our ranks before. Very well, I see no problem with that. And what of the last one? You intend to make her your bride?”

“Yes, your Majesty. I drained her, and gave her my blood, in the traditional way. She will take time to turn, of course, but tomorrow night I will introduce her to her new life. She will not be able to resist the compulsion of the blood-bond. Not until she is far older and stronger.”

“Very well. You seem to have that well in hand. I don’t need to remind you that she is not to be allowed to snack on any of the mortals, yes? You, I am allowing, if you find a consenting partner, but young vampires do not have the control to stop unless you make them.”

“Yes, I remember when I first rose as a newly turned vampire. There were some… accidents.”

“See that there are no accidents with her.”

“Of course, your Majesty. Do you wish for us to send a response to the Americans?”

“No, I think that I will handle that. It might be necessary to go and pay a visit to Langley, and inform the CIA directly about my displeasure, since subtle means have been lost on them.”

I felt a twinge in the magic. One of my wards had been tripped. Not here, but abroad. In the United States. Something had happened to Eri!

I took a deep breath, and looked at the mirror. “I am sorry, Sergeant Major, but it appears that someone has made a catastrophically bad decision elsewhere. I am afraid we will have to cut this short.”

The Sergeant Major bowed. “Of course, your Majesty. May those poor fools get the day that they deserve.”

I spoke the command word to break the connection, and rose. I sent a message to my servants, commanding them to clear my schedule of all meetings for the day, and to wake my disciples. It was time that they got some field experience, anyway.