Hammer

Hammer stood naked in the hanger as he retrieved the bag from the passing cart. Slowly he made his way towards a black hawk helicopter. In the distance two other hawks flew into the horizon, leaving him and a dozen others who would finally leave the one place they called home in Johannesburg, South Africa. Reaching into the bag, he pulled out a dark green flight suit and his long, muscular legs stepped into it. His arms nearly split the seams as he shrugged into the top half of it. Pulling up the zipper he looked at the stretcher that was being loaded into the bird.

'Sir it's set,' a voice said behind him. The crew shut the lights off in the hanger letting the sunlight from the opened doors stream in. Pulling on a pair of boots, Hammer picked up his sack and left the bloodied towels on the floor.

Walking towards the black hawk 50 meters away from the hanger door, Hammer watched the blades fire up, spinning slowly and lethargically at first, but finally gaining speed, whipping air around his face. With one good eye, he turned back and looked at the hanger. This would be the last time they would be in South Africa, so far away from their natural home in the frigid north. Russia had been his home as a child at the turn of the 20th century but so little time had been spent there. Running his right hand through his reddish white hair, Hammer heard the first reports of the explosions that were set at the home office building in downtown Johannesburg. It would be blamed on terrorists and quietly Hammerthynn chuckled at the thought. The hanger would be next and any trace of anyone ever being there.

Lowering his tall 6'6 frame as he neared the helicopter blades, Hammer could see the figure laying in the stretcher they had loaded in. Xeph would be angry, he thought. Well not angry but he'd give him that look of displeasure you give a child. A natural born leader himself, Hammer still tolerated his Alpha's treatment of him, still Xeph was respectful of Hammer's position and usually let him get away with murder...so to speak.

Climbing up, Hammer sat next to the stretcher and looked at its occupant, and ran a hand over his face. This probably wasn't his best idea. The face turned towards him slowly and blinked. They looked at each other for a long while when the man in the stretcher finally spoke.

'I'm dead.' It was more of a statement than a question.

Hammer dropped his hand and leaned forward. 'No, you're not.'

The figure nodded slowly. 'Where are we?'

'In a helicopter. We are leaving.' Hammer's tone was neutral, as always. The look on the man's face encouraged him further. 'We're going to Nachton.'

'Home?'

'Indeed. We are going home, Mr. Steyn.' Marthinus Steyn moved painfully in the stretcher. 'Get some sleep, Mr. Steyn. There are many things to discuss when we land.' Indeed. Many things. Hammer thought again of what Xeph would say about him transferring the virus to the CEO of the largest medical research facility in Nachton and the eastern seaboard.

It was going to be a long day.