Banshees

By Mark C. Marino

In a world where supernatural and mythical beings coexist with humans, a 244-year-old banshee named Siobhan goes to Paris with three of her best friends to spend the week for a vacation. Eventually, after an attack on the Eiffel Tower, the four friends bond together on a journey to Jordan to bring down a powerful paramilitary organization led by the ghoul king known as Azraghul.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Aug 6, 2018
• ISBN: 9781984544841

Book preview

Prologue

Long ago as the Middle Ages came to an end, Cliodhna, the queen of all banshees returned to Ireland after being swept out to sea for over a millenia. When she came back to Blarney Castle, she realized that her family had passed away and much she had back then was gone. But instead starting over or continuing where she left off before her absence from the country, she noticed that many normal human beings over the years have suffered many regrets over who and what they lost, or what opportunities were taken because of a setback, and if they never got the chance due to leaving this world too soon before they could start or finish where they started. She felt sorry for them just as much as she felt from never being able to see her family again after a tidal wave kept her from coming home. Especially for everything they’ve lost during the dark ages and so with the help of three other banshees plus one who she purified and redeemed, not only did she cast the first incantation spell where she had reincarnated the first spirit of an Irish woman who wished for a second chance in life as a banshee, but with pure kindness at an age where she is able to understand things clearly. Together the four banshees followed Cliodhna all the way to setting up 4 clans based upon for different animals they are known to shape shift into and by ensuring they can maintain human form, they would be able to live among the humans again. Cliodhna spent 3 hours a day every week conjuring up spells to help reincarnate every spirit they bring forth into corporal banshees because as supernaturals that are appropriately relevant to humans, they as the second and brighter generation exist as the bridge that helps guide humanity to a much greater understanding.

As time moved on more banshees came into the clans and as four of Cliodhna’s followers have left this world to grant every banshee with the ability to shapeshift into each of these four animals native to Ireland; the Hooded Crow, the Rabbit, the Weasle, and the Stout. In every clan, every banshee in charge goes by the rank of queen. Not in royalty, but as the clan leader, and the leaders chosen to run each of the four clans are Catherine O’Shaughnessey aka Queen Corrina of the Hooded Crow Clan, Saiorse Smythe aka Queen Florooma of the Rabbit Clan, Kim O’Brien of the Weasle Clan, and Queen Masia of the Stout Clan. Together the four clans each enlist up to 24 students that are given education and rooms to sleep within every castle they live in. They also allow their students to enjoy fun activities indoors and outdoors after school hours and every occasion now and then, they go on a field trip to other countries in the world to study other cultures first hand.

Since the Hooded Crow Clan’s trip to China, the law of allowing women from different countries to become and be reincarnated into a banshee not only to give them second chances, but also to have them share their culture and traditions with others in the clans while they learn of the cultures and traditions in Ireland as well. Also each member of the clans took language arts classes to master about 1 to 3 different languages a year while studying each country’s history. But also to ensure that their students don’t become exausted from learning more of what the world has to offer, the queens have them take 15 weeks of summer vacation off instead of the usual 12. However, with each clan having a strict code of conduct, each and every student who isn’t fully disciplined and optimistic enough to handling acceptance out in the world is forbbided from dating men due to the tragedy one banshee who lost her way when the life of a man she loved was taken from her by bad people out in America and had been dumped by one who proposed a ring to her over another woman back when she was human. Her name is Nora Flannery.

Nora Flannery, and good friend of Queen Corrina had eventually fallen and became Paranora Fang when she assembled a clan of her own banshees into attacking those who have wronged other innocent lives out of such cruelty. Her ambitions were brought to an end by the bravery of one banshee that confronted her underling in the alleys of Wicklow and that banshee’s name is Siobhan. Before that day in 1936, Siobhan was young and sometimes impetious when it comes to following rules that back then she used to have a boyfriend that she was secretly dating for a few years now up until he left for America right before she saw Paranora Fang’s follower named Monstra attacking three muggers abusing an innocent woman. After killing two of the muggers with her blasts of high pitch screams, Siobhan successfully convinced Monstra to spare the last man’s life and by revealing herself to the latter as a banshee, Monstra surrendered and turned herself over to the authorities and Paranora Fang and the rest of the Raven Clan have not been heard ever since.

Over the years, Siobhan has been idolized by her friends and fellow clan students for being brave on overcoming fear of such tensions and as time moved on, she made even more friends by helping them with their problems and for being a symbol of courage. Of course she wasn’t trying to be a big shot. She was doing what was right for everyone while remaining as much more reasonable person among others, even humans. Now as of today here in the 21st century, her clan has moved into Dublin Castle working day and night as tour guides and employees who run things there alongside other individuals while she works alongside her best friends Colleen Smythe, Treasa O’Brien, and Brea O’Shae over in a hair salon close by the alley of where she became a much more responsible banshee and has been working there since 2002.

Over the years since the conclusion of the Medieval Perion, the banshees of the four clans have lived in harmony with humanity and while the leprechauns reside with Queen Cliodhna in Blarney Castle, they have not made contact with any other supernatural species. But soon, they’ll discover that they’re not the only ones that exist in this universe as others roam among society as we speak.

Chapter 1

A Girl’s Life

Out in the Irish Town called Wicklow in the year of 2024, Siobhan and her friends Colleen, work at the Halo Beauty Salon on 28 Main Street, Bray, Co. and from their they are able to manage their work shifts from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 7 hours a day and 4 days a week, she had been working there since the day had opened and has done marvelous giving her customers such lovely and glamorous hairstyles.

Just a bit more on the left and . . . presto! says Siobhan as she finishes grooming and styling her customer’s hair long and smooth with a new ultraviolet color.

The Customer, who was amazed by how marvelous her hair looks and gives Siobhan her complements. Wow, it’s so shiny and perfectly smooth. You really do have such a great talent. You’re quite the professional hair stylist Miss-

Siobhan. Just call me Siobhan, she replied. I have been working here for more than a few years. I can’t be specific because it would be far out of logic for anyone to possibly understand these days.

The customer giggles. That’s alright. I guess you must be someone special here in Ireland.

Very much. Thank you, Siobhan replied. Me and my friends here in this lovely salon have studied cosmetology a lot before opening the place and just like ‘A’ grade students. Of course, my mother runs a special school I attended for girls that are for those who are as remarkable as me and I graduated.

Well, that’s nice. But before I pay you, I have one question to ask of you Siobhan, said the customer. Have you ever had a crush on someone?

Well, no. Not really, Siobhan smiles nervously. My mother told me that it’s best to meet someone when I am smart and old enough to handle a simple yes or no to a relationship, but even though I’m old enough, I’m just not sure if the right guy for me is even here for me in Ireland.

Tough, isn’t it? But there are other places here in the world for you to meet someone and it doesn’t need to be anywhere here in the country, the customer suggested as she hands Siobhan the money for doing her hair nice and well done and then as she hands her a tour guide brochure of Paris, France. Here, try this place for example.

As Siobhan took the brochure, she then looked inside and saw several points of interests the city has to offer such as the Eiffel Tower, the Notre Dame Church, Arc de Triomphe, The Louvre, Musee d’Orsay, Montmartre, and so much more that looks so rich and marvelously astonishing.

Well, this does look like a lovely city with lots of places in it that look so nice to find romance, she replied. But I do need to ask my mom for permission first because I do have other places to go later. Not to worry though, I will think about it and thank you for the brochure.

You’re welcome and thanks again for the new hair style, says the customer as she leaves the salon.

Wow, Paris? That’s one of the best places in the world for people to enjoy in the rest of Europe with the finest architectural monuments! We should go there! Colleen requested. It’s better than spending the summer here with nothing else to do than work in this place.

Same here, agreed Treasa while sweeping some of the hair off the floor. It would be nice to get some vacation and relaxation once in a while.

Yeah, insisted Bree reorganizing the hair styling items back in their proper places. We should start saving up for a trip to France. We’d get great food, souvenirs, jewelry, and maybe, she giggles for a moment, we could meet some nice handsome guys of our dreams too! she concluded before she and the girls in the room sighed happily.

It is quite a luxurious vacation getaway girls, Siobhan admitted. But you three love birds are forgetting one thing.

Um . . . well . . . not really, wondered the girls. You think our parents wouldn’t-

Paranora Fang! Siobhan interjects. You know. The leader of the evil banshees that live in the mountains on the west side of this country? My mother’s old friend who was distraught by her fiancé dumping her over another woman just when he was about to propose to her while they were in a tavern back then?

Yeah, we know about those stories that after leaving our ancestors, she used magic to draw the spirits of any Irish women who died from not such a happy life or were brutally taken from this world through such a horrific death they would become scary, demonic, monstrous, creature like, and evil looking, noted Bree.

That’s also why most normal human beings fear us more than seeing us as friendly people, Treasa added. All because of the teeth, the hideous faces, claws and the screams that could-

Okay, that’s enough, said Siobhan as she explains further on why they need to be careful when meeting someone. That is also why we had to attend our clans’ private schools here in Ireland so that we would be able to learn and understand everything in life better and that we don’t get emotional like she did.

We did watch movies over the years that feature romance and where some couples do have these struggles keeping up their relationships, Treasa mentioned. But yes, we know that in some of those movies a man or a woman leaves the person they were in love with over things not working out or because either one has found interest in another individual whether they are seduced behind the other’s back and-

Yeah I know, Siobhan interrupted again, and I am glad you all know how relationships are, but sometimes life isn’t always what we see on TV or in the movies and it’s not that easy finding someone single out in person these days either. If anyone of you see someone that attracts you, and then you start enjoying you first hour, day or week hanging out with that person, but then all of a sudden they get a phone call from someone else or go running into that person while you are still with him or her that if he or she says something that would hint that he or she may be in love with one another or having his or her interest on someone else, then there is no telling how emotional you would become if you don’t move past it and respect that person’s decision.

Okay, okay. We get it, Siobhan! huffed Bree. Could you please just mellow out for a while?

Yeah, come on, begged Colleen. We have been spending over 2 centuries in school and even though we do go on field trips to theme parks in America and once every 30 years in London, Wales, and Scotland, and Spain when it is not war season. Sure, we did go to Paris once 45 years ago, but not on our own.

And we did go to China and Japan before World War 1 and after the Vietnam War to learn about their cultures and way of life and to train in kung fu and martial arts to defend ourselves against any who threaten us, Bree mentioned.

Exactly, but Siobhan, with all four of us being in the young adult range, including all that we’ve learned over the years, don’t you think it’s time we all take this chance to go on a trip on our own and just look out for ourselves? Treasa noted.

Well yes I-

And wouldn’t it be nice if it was just the 4 of us instead of the whole clan and maybe catch up more on exploring one of the world’s most beautiful cities? Please, just this once, begged Colleen.

Seeing how eager her friends are at taking such an opertunity for a vacation on their own, Siobhan couldn’t argue with them anymore as she found it safe for them to manage out in a city far from and smiled.

Alright. We can go to Paris at some point once we get permission from our parents and leaders but once we do you all need to know is that when we are out there on our own as a group, I need to see that you can keep most of your excitement contained and not get so emotional on anything we run into while we’re there. Are we clear?

Clear. Crystal. No problem! promised Colleen, Treasa and Bree with thumbs up and a salute to promise they will remain calm and cooperative on their trip.

Good, smiled Siobhan. Now before we ask our parents and queens for their permission to go to Paris on our own as a group, we should let our boss know that we-

Just then in a sudden reflex, the girls started wailing which predicts that someone within the Irish families, residents or descendants of immigrates who traveled to other counties around the world over the years and then after 7 seconds of slight wailing, they finally stopped and nothing in the store or even the windows shattered as glass usually does over strong sound frequencies.

Wow, that was close, said Treasa in such a relief. Good thing our parents convinced our boss to enchant this place with magic to makes glass soundproof up to even the highest frequency, otherwise we’d never work anywhere in town for a living.

However, it only lasts a week, even though it’s waterproof, Colleen added on. It took over a month or two for our clans to come up with the ingredients to make soundproof enchanted magic with both magic and science put together.

Look girls, maybe Siobhan’s right, pondered Bree feeling more doubtful about going on vacation. Because of how our wails randomly predicting the death of the families our clans watch over and descendants of those Irish families, we may not be able to fit in with the normal world out there on our own like wedo here. We’ll probably just go to London for our vacation then.

Oh, I wouldn’t let your worries hold you back, dear, says the owner of the salon coming out of her office. I’m sure you’ll all do fine on your own out there. After all, not every descendant or member of the Irish families dies so often.

You’re . . . okay with that, Ms. Flannery? asked Siobhan.

Of course Siobhan, replied Ms. Flannery. I maybe a descendant of Paranora Fang, but your mother was able to help me get through my struggles when the first man I fell in love with broke up with me, and it wasn’t over another woman. It was because things we’re not going to work out the way we hoped because he had to leave for a job out of the country. So don’t worry, I’m sure your mother has made you something that will help you keep your powers suppressed while you four are out on your trip and don’t worry about me. I’ll still have more people working here while you’re gone.

Thank you, Ms. Flannery, said Siobhan. I’ll make sure the girls stay safe after we have our parents’ permission to go to Paris as a group.

She, Colleen, Treasa and Bree punched out their hours, and headed out the door. Good day, Ms. Flannery!

Goodbye! added Colleen.

See ya! said Treasa.

Good night, Ms. Flannery, Bree added as they all left the salon and walked over to their silver car as it was owned by Siobhan who has passed her driver’s test and has owned the vehicle for over 17 years now.

Hey Siobhan, um, there is something I have wanted to ask you, Colleen pardoned. Why is it that we have to pronounce your name without saying the word the way it’s spelled exactly?

Well Colleen, it was founded by Nomads during the Middle Ages and of course it means God’s blessing.

You must be honored then, complemented Treasa.

Thank you, chuckled Siobhan. For now let’s just be clear, when we get back over to Dublin and once I drop you girls off, we are to count all the money each of us has saved and remember, if any of us doesn’t have enough, we wait until that person does. Am I clear?

Yes! Right on. Same here! replied Colleen, Bree and Treasa one by one.

Alright, then let’s roll! Siobhan said with excitement as the other girls cheered as they continued up north to their homes.

While driving up northwest to make a right turn north from Rathnew, Siobhan started sing to make the drive back home more fun for the group.

Over the hills and mountains we go,

There’s always lots to see beyond our trip home from Wicklow.

Colleen then steps in to sing along with her friend while sitting in the front passenger seat.

Ireland is our home with flourishing green everywhere,

It is like a sanctuary for things we cherish compared to other countries in the world out there.

Then Treasa tags along while the gang continued up the road, moving past local grass lands and farm lands.

Life is always different for everyone living in every city and countryside,

Each of us, always has something new to learn every day as we stride.

And last in line to join the group was Bree with words of her own to share.

Human, banshee, or as both is no big deal as long as we look out for each other,

But when it comes to meeting someone new, it’s always something to endeavor.

And together the four friends began to sing in chorus just as they drove by more fields of green.

Over the hills and mountains beyond our every destination,

Even more so when we’re all going on vacation.

There’s always something to look forward to when coming back home,

Especially when we’ll get to go out on our own.

It is true that as banshees, we are more extraordinary,

But deep down, we are like most people so there’s no reason to worry.

We live our lives everyday doing work and helping others in many different ways,

We play day and night doing things everyone does in their free time with smiles or dismays.

So it’s off back home to Dublin,

The capital city of Ireland,

Back home to Dublin,

Where there are castles we reside in with our leaders and friends around the bend,

Back home to Dublin,

It is also the country’s largest city,

Where most people around the world come to visit to learn more on our culture and history.

Oh yeah, it’s back home to Dublin,

To get to bed and call it a night,

Back home to Dublin,

Where we will embark a new tomorrow with all our might,

Back home to Dublin,

Yeah, yeah!

They finally finished singing just before coming up to the town of Bray.

I always love singing while we’re driving back home a few miles away, said Colleen always feeling cheerful after a good song to sing with her friends.

Me too, Colleen, Siobhan agreed, and if anyone likes to do it again after we make it through Bray, I’d be glad to.

Yeah! Let’s do it, one more time, Treasa encouraged as they continued making their way up the road back home by going through the town of Bray up ahead.

Chapter 2

Insurgent

Out in a U.S. Military Base stationed in the outskirts of Rahhaliyah, Iraq which was successfully established for American troops to set up base five years ago. U.S. troops were maintaining security around the whole area just as the sun was about to set. Now heading towards the main command center, Colonel Cambridge, officer in command of the base was in a jeep with his Lt. Colonel and two officers.

Oh man, here we are in one of the world’s most dangerous regions and we are still at war with many of the same swarms of bad guys that just keep coming and no matter how many more hostiles we take down, more of them show up and even worse than the last guys, complained the soldier driving the jeep to the command center going by Pvt. Alexander. Still we haven’t had any attacks in this part of the globe for almost a week. At least that’s good news to hear.

Yeah, but it’s like they’re waiting for us to leave or start planning an ambush on us with something big, the soldier in back with Lt. Colonel Richardson opined. Like a nuke or something like half a dozen tanks or choppers to maybe 3 to 4 fighter jets and-

Oh please, Alexander interrupted. You think the reason we haven’t had any terror attacks in the entire Middle East and within the Indian Subcontinent is all because the terrorists themselves are trying to buy or steal a couple jets to hit us with?

You remember 9/11, don’t you? asked the soldier in back whose name is Pvt. Danvers as he recalls the 9/11 attack. It was the worst terror event in the world when al-Qaeda hijacked a damn plane with passengers on board and-

Alright, that’s enough, you two, huffed Colonel Cambridge. You gentlemen have just started working here for over 3 years now and yet you guys are now acting like a bunch of teenagers. So straighten up and act like adults.

YES SIR! shouted the two soldiers.

Good, now when we get to the command center we need to meet up with Major West and he will give us a rundown on what the enemy could be planning next.

As the general went on as they passed by one of the watch towers where a lone vulture was on the roof and then it followed the jeep to the command center soaring above them, but when it then saw the control tower on its left, it flew onto the roof of the building where the tower itself was occupied with 7 men stationed inside the tower’s observation floor.

From inside the shadows on the floor, strange, dark-looking creatures slid from out of the shadows and subdued the control tower operatives to a state of unconsciousness and then the vulture landed on the balcony of the deck and mystically shape shifts into a horribly ghoulish king like figure who is none other than the shadow ghouls’ king, Azraghul.

Good work, my servants, he said to his shadow ghouls. Soon as I make my way into the command center, I will need you start getting our surprise attack strategy ready for my men to put into action. So help Adam plant C4 on every tank, chopper and every other transport so that they can’t initiate any counter attacks or escape so easily.

Just as the ghouls acknowledge his orders they disperse back into the shadows to carry them out, Azraghul then contacts his Arabian ninja assassin outside the base with his earpiece he puts on. Adam, it’s me. I am in the control tower. What’s your status?

South of the complex waiting further orders, your majesty, replied the ninja who Azraghul is communicating with.

Good. I’ll see that your loyalty is rewarded for your response at following instructions wisely, complemented Azraghul as he is amused with Adam’s lack of slack and hesitation. Now before you make your way into the base, do you have at least 25 C4 explosive blocks on you?

30, your highness, answered Adam. It’s always best to have more than the recommended amount for a sabotage mission like this.

Ah, very good, approved Azraghul. Now once you get inside, avoid detection while you make your way to the vehicles and plant the C4 on each of them but do make sure they are placed 2 to 3 vehicles away from the others so that we don’t waste them because setting up a vehicle to blow next to others would set off a chain reaction and make sure you get as many of the C4 planted on 18 tanks and choppers near your position. Then plant the remaining blocks on any of the communication relay towers nearby and Adam, after you’ve planted all the C4 you’ve brought with you make sure that our almutlaein are clear of the blast and then meet me in the command center and I’ll let you know when to set them off and the others will be sure to set off the ones my ghouls plant on the vehicles.

Roger that, my king. Over and out, replied Adam as he stands still and puts his hands together in meditative stand and sinks down into the shadows and then as he reemerges out from the shadows of a tank inside the south section of the base, he swiftly jumps in between it and the fence to make sure no one saw him and then when it was clear, he began placing C4 on the rear of the tanks with the first one placed on the lower part of the engine and then swiftly leaps over the next three onto the 5 one where he placed the next block behind the turret of the tank and then when an officer saw him, he nodded that he’s clear to keep doing what he was doing as Adam nods back to thank him for making sure no one else saw him as he moves on to the next row of tanks in the area on the south end.

Strange . . .

Inside the command center, Colonel Cambridge, along with Pvt. Alexander, Pvt. Danvers and Lt. Colonel Richardson meet up with Major West and other officials to discuss the lack of terrorist activity that’s been going on for almost a week.

Major, said Cambridge as he salutes along with the two soldiers and his Lt. Colonel as well to the major.

Colonel, acknowledged Major West as he salutes to his fellow comrades. Glad you could come to this meeting because we might have picked something up on a new breed of hostiles that might link with whatever the reason for the lack of terror events throughout the region. Follow me. I’ll explain the rest once we enter the briefing room.

He along with Colonel Cambridge, Pvt. Alexander, Pvt. Danvers and the Lt. Colonel walk to the briefing room as the guard behind them kept watch from outside.

Outside on the roof of the tower by the command center, Azraghul crept inside the room on the top floor and quietly subdued the guards with his telekinetic powers by strangling them all at once before getting inside the tower to make sure the whole base won’t be able to know what surprises he has in store for all the soldiers in it.

Ah, nothing like a trip back up the road to a new and more suitable life of ruling the world, he monologs. To think if I got out of that dungeon inside the peak of Aýrybaba that I was rudely imprisoned in for so many centuries on my own in Turkmenistan, I was going to wipe out all of humanity for turning on me, but now since those who were broke and desperate at doing anything for me in exchange for payback against the people who ruined their lives back in the 1970s and 1980s came to my rescue, some of humanity has given me another chance to rule again. Ah, sabbah alrrbb.

He makes his way onto the roof of the command building and inside by traveling through the shadows as he prepares to make his move.

Inside the command center’s briefing room, Colonel Cambridge, along with the Major and other leaders of the base have gathered around to discuss whatever possible leads they have to learn of the enemy’s next move.

Good evening, gentlemen, said Cambridge to everyone in the room. Over the past few years, every terrorist groups stationed here in the Middle East started holding off from committing their random attacks once a week every three months, which is kind of unusual since these random attacks are always frequent every day. Therefore, something big they have in mind is about to happen.

Like what? Nuclear strikes on us like the Russians, the French, the UK, Pakistan, and North Koreans almost did when all they did was make us loose power once every three months? boasted a corporal officer standing next to one of the captains of the base.

Not likely, Cambridge replied. However, over the past few years, those nukes that have reached and detonated in U.S. air space and some which were deactivated before reaching our country’s air space have been launched before some of our country’s military bases stationed here in the region are being mysteriously wiped out. Other than the fact this base could be next on the enemy’s list, we do know for certain that these incidents are somehow connected which shows that the nukes are used to destablize our connection so that the enemy can strike us down unaware that either the countries that have launched their nukes into our airspace have teamed up with the terrorists themselves or . . . the enemy somehow hacked into their arsenal of nuclear weapons.

Well, France and the United Kingdom along with Pakistan are still our allies and part of N.A.T.O., said the lieutenant, and even though our differences with Russia are still present, they have been helping us take out many of the terrorist cells over in Syria. Also, the North Korean Prime Minister from Pyongyang recently confirmed that he did not authorize any missile strikes and said that their launch systems have been compromised by something hostile but also non-human. Same reasons for the other countries’ missile strikes as well."

That’s absurd, lieutenant, blurted the captain. If the enemy responsible for the attack on some of our bases here in the Middle East is behind the launches, there is no way they would have any access to any of the world nations’ nuclear launch pads and some of the men stationed in those terminals haven’t been since the launches were initiated.

Well, thanks to our recon unit lead by Sergeant Hoffman and Corporal Matthews, we may finally have discover the location of the enemy that linked to the attacks on some of the U.S. bases and others from the countries part of N.A.T.O. and determine if they have any links to the unauthorized missile strikes, affirmed Major West as Azraghul, having infiltrated the building’s security room, took out the men monitoring the base’s activities without any bloodshed, and cackles hearing about the soldiers discovering the cause of their missile strikes and the attacks on the bases addressed to them and other countries of N.A.T.O.

Oh, I’m sorry, Major, he chuckled as he was well aware of their attempts to warning the Pentagon, but I’m afraid you and the rest of your soldiers based within my region won’t be able to tell anyone anything until I want you to.

He then contacts Adam on his wireless ear coms to hear of how many C4 blocks he has planted so far. Adam, come in. I’m in the command center. How far are you on planting the charges?

Just finished putting the remaining 5 blocks on the local com towers my King, Adam confirmed, and with the rest placed on both the choppers and the jeeps and with our almutlaein clear of detonation, our insurgent on this place should be good to go.

Well done, praised Azraghul. Now please get out of sight before any of the soldiers spot you and rally to me at my position. I’ll let you know when to set them off.

Yes, my liege, over and out, acknowledged the ninja as he mystically disappears into the shadows before anyone could spot him.

The U.S. recon squad of the base came into the briefing room having gone through a lot to bring with them a dossier regarding the location of the enemy behind the recent base attacks in the Middle East and saluted to their superiors who also salute to them for reporting to the room.

Sergeant Hoffman, Corporal Matthews, it’s great to see you’ve made it back alive, men, said Lt. Colonel Richardson greeting his men for their return on their recon mission.

Thank you, sir, said Sgt. Hoffman. It wasn’t easy making it back here with everyone that came along with us on the mission. We were compromised and lost a few good men out there, but we we’re lucky to make it back here with the Intel we need to have the Pentagon know straight away before we can make our move on their territory ASAP.

Azraghul then contacts his second in command Amar Bakr, general of the ghoul king’s band of mercenaries armed with actual weaponry, explosives, and some of them skilled with magic as one of them was juggling fireballs with the power of pyrokenisis which was given to him by a spell he was enchanted with.

Bakr, are you and the rest of our men in position? asked the ghoul king.

We are, sir, answered Bakr on his com. I’m with 30 of my squad over on the north side of the base, Raza is on the West side with 39 men, Karim is on the east with 35 men, and Adam should be back with 43 of our men in the south awaiting your orders King Azraghul.

Good work. Now once Adam sets off his charges, have our men make their way towards the military base and when you do, be sure to have your detonators ready to set off the charges my ghouls planted on every vehicle and aircraft inside before you enter the facility and take down all the soldiers stationed here. Remember to take most of their lives with the weapons I helped you craft and taught how to use so that our big plan to making all the countries on this earth kneel before us as their new masters goes according to plan, complimented the ghoul king as he instructed Bakr on what to do.

Roger that, my liege, Bakr replied.

In the mean time, I will buy us enough time to make sure our insurgent tonight get’s done successfully without any interference, he concluded while taking out a flash drive and inserts it into the USB port of the security console.

The recon team had taken out some photos of enemy they are dealing with reveals that the hostiles were headed into the ancient city of Petra and have yet to begin setting up their base in the valley with tanks, choppers, tents, and with the roads now being mysteriously blocked off by walls of rock separating the museum from the rest of the site.

This right here Colonel is something that you should see, advised Corporal Matthews. This is something that’s been going on over the last few days ago before we ran into some heavy resistance.

My lord, gasped the Colonel. It looks like they have managed to cut off all road accesses into the valley and all that the people are able to visit now is the museum which is cut off from the rest of the site as well. But why, why go through all that trouble hacking into the consoles of every nuclear launch sites just to keep us from monitoring their attacks on our bases across the Middle East?

It’s not just our bases that are being wiped out here, Colonel, base commander Harrison explains as he enters the briefing room with 4 soldiers as his escorts. The Russian forces in Syria contacted us 20 minutes ago and said that one of our missiles that have been launched from New Mexico had detonated above Moscow and now they’re going through a city wide blackout as well as the UK and Germany.

How could that be? asked Pvt. Danvers. I thought we were the only ones loosing radio contact! So now, other countries are having these WMDs launched above their airspaces as well?

Oh crud, if this keeps up, we could definitely be looking at World War 3 happening soon! panicked Pvt. Alexander.

Calm down, men! ordered Major West. No one is going to start World War 3. After everything and everyone in this world has lost since World War 2, for what the consequences were and all the prices every country had to pay, no one in this world would have the intention or capability of starting this yet to be announced official third world war.

Yeah but with Sudan, Syria, North Korea, Venezuela, Cuba, and Iran, chances are for those countries to start World War 3 and act as the enemy combatants for our nations to take on are 65 to 1, theorized Pvt. Gerald.

And those drug lords that have a lot of cartel goons heavily armed and with a few armies under their employment within Mexico and throughout several parts of Central and South America, mentioned another soldier in the corner.

Or even any militias from any country under the command of their clients would make it happen by causing massive civilian casualties just to start a war, said Corporal Matthews.

Gentlemen, we are not going to start theorizing or talking about this! ordered Colonel Cambridge stressed out by the chatter of his soldiers.

Why the hell shouldn’t we talk about this? argued Pvt. Gerald in question as everyone else except the leading officers in the room started arguing in such chatter which began stirring things up in chaos as King Azraghul watched the quarreling from the shadows over in the corner across from the door behind the base commander and his escorts.

Everyone quiet down! ordered Lieutenant Colonel Richardson who finally started speaking after remaining quiet throughout most of the meeting.

Silence in the room! he ordered again as he tries to settle everyone down that the chatter was so loud that no one was able to acknowledge which stressed the Lt. Colonel into taking out his pistol and shoots it up at the ceiling.

The shot was so loud it was able to get everyone in the room to stop arguing in such chatter.

"Now that’s enough! All of you! We are better than this! Now as much as I have to say this more than once so that all of you here in this room won’t forget, if World