Gimme Shelter

Look for the black pickup. We need to regroup and do some recon for busting your friends out.

“I hope he is here soon.”

It didn’t took long until a black truck arrived at the parking lot.

Okay the last time I met a stranger he turned out to be a skin walker, better be careful.

Lenna did something she would have never thought she would do, making sure she could reach the gun in her waist band easily.

“Showtime Georgie.” Said Lenna quiet to her friend and louder. “Hey, there. I didn’t know the cavalry rides such a great black horse. You know Tex, right? I know we need help but, last time we got help from a stranger he turned out to be a skin walker. How do we know we can trust you?”

Lenna had a similar silver rosary as Rome had, she pulled it off from under her shirt and held it out to the stranger.

"See I am human."

Cal resisted the urge to wince. As long as silver didn't break the skin in human form, he was okay. But then, he'd never had prolonged contact with it. He wrapped his hand around the rosary briefly, then withdrew it. He smiled, winked and shoved the pickup back into gear.

"See? Human as you and the feds in that building," Cal chuckled as he pulled out of the parking lot.

He made a roundabout escape, driving slowly to avoid suspicion after his rather dramatic arrival at the hospital. After travelling around enough blocks to confuse even himself, Cal pulled up at a filling station on the edge of Gallup and cut the ignition.

"Got a place to hold out and plan this bust-out?" Cal asked, "We need to be careful about this. Especially after a failed attempt. They're probably gonna up security, maybe even bring in the local cowboys. They could even lock down the hospital."

“Wow you are really optimistic.”

Lenna looked for a second out of the window and it was nearly as if she heard Rome say. Play nice, chica.

“Elenna Fee. Guess it is nice to know which hunter is to retarded to safe her friends. This is Georgina Gilmore, also a hunter. I am good in hunting but can’t handle humans, to defend myself. Don’t know the hotel room is paid until tomorrow even though my boys had left town. But my car is there and I don’t know. Sorry, I don’t really know what to do. Oh and don’t worry I will shut up and listen, just when I am nervous I can’t stop talking and...”

“Elenna, shut up and let him at least say his name.” Shouted Georgie.

"Caleb Daly, pleased to meet you. Hunter, and acquaintance of our mutual friend Tex for almost two years now. Former First Sergeant, US Army, First Special Operations Detachment Delta. Other than Honorable Discharge after my unit got eaten by a Werewolf. I nailed it in the end though," Caleb stated, "I can deal with planning the assault, and, well, I hunt just about everything, so I can up-gun you two pretty easily. Once the Hotel Room's time is up, we can scoot over to somewhere closer to the hospital. Hopefully there's a Motel or Boarding House we can get a room in near it."

WEREWOLF. Seriously how often do I have to read, hear or talk about them, before I stop holding my breath. Okay right now I want to run away and say sorry guys, but it is not my fault that you in the FBI custody.

Lenna’s voice was far away from being stable, it was shaky. “Okay. Um. That just reminds me of something. Georgie? Do me a favour and take this. I...”

Lenna handed the gun Danila gave her, to the blond girl. Feeling much safer now.

“It is the El Rancho. Um we were hunting this skin walker and had a fight with it at the police station. The walker was Aly, um I mean Special agent Allison Wesson’s partner. She shot at him, after realizing that this was not her partner anymore. She helped Rome, and we stayed together to find the walker who had taken Raws. She was in a pretty bad shape and she needed to go to the hospital. Rome and Raws skipped town, because Rome had some trouble with the law and we thought it would be better not to be here in Gallup, where a police station got attacked. I stayed, because I am friggin moron, to loyal to people that safe my live. And now because I asked him for help is Danila also in custody. To be honest with you, when I can give you a good advice. Kick me out of your car and drive as fast as you can in the other direct away. I just cause trouble. I have no idea how I can help.”

Elenna started in her cool hunter voice, but when she realized what just all happened how close they all were to die and what now happens she was back to be the lost girl she was when she told Danila about Aly. Not even the awesome truck of this guy could distract her.

"I can respect the loyalty. But I get the feeling you all overestimated yourselves after fighting a Skin Walker Tex and I have been trying to keep tabs of for a while - don't get me wrong, very impressive feat. But I'm guessing you're pretty beat up after it. That or you all underestimated the FBI after fighting that thing. After all, they're only human, right?" Caleb replied, "But then, so are you and your buddies. See what I'm getting at here?"

He pulled out of the filling station forecourt and followed the few-and-far-between tourist information signs to the El Rancho Hotel, pulling into a parking space (but taking up almost two in the gargantuan pickup). He stopped, let the turbocharger wind down and cut the ignition, shoving the keys carefully into his pocket. He climbed out of the driver's seat and calmly pulled his phone from his pocket, sending an all-clear message to Tex as he opened the back passenger door to let Georgina and Elenna out.

“Thanks.” Mumbled Lenna to Caleb for opening the door for them.

It took Lenna a while to understand what Caleb wanted to say. And even as she did she wasn’t sure if she did understand it right.

“Um, yeah I think. That is kind of my problem, evilsonsofb*tches I get, humans not really.” Lenna sighed. “But that is kind of the reason I asked Tex for help. Look, don’t get me wrong I am grateful that you are here and wanna help us, but what we don’t need is someone who judges what we do and how we handle things. Aly and Dan needed medical attention and we could drive to the next town. Aly had a hole in her abdomen so it was kind of urgent.”

What the hell does he think, knows us for 10 minutes and thinks he is a better hunter then we are. Just because he knows that the FBI causes big trouble? Right I am in the road with a guy who is wanted in basically every state. I know the FBI and police is not our friend.

As so often when she got angry and needed verbally to defend herself and her friends without real reason she couldn’t block out a voice in her head. A year ago she was sure that it was her brothers voice, now she wasn’t so sure anymore.

“Lennie, come on he just want to help. You know better then turn into the little b*tch you were in the hotel. Don’t trap a person in water bubble that is not nice. You know better than that.”

“Fine yeah we underestimated the FBI, but this doesn’t help us now. So you wanna help us great, at the moment
Georgie and I run out of plans, so we are all yours. If not no one will stop you from leaving.”

Lenna looked determined at Caleb.

Something is weird about him.

“Elenna? Caleb I promise she is just b*tchy when she is worried. She is a nice girl. Don’t listen to her. We know now that we should have left the town earlier and take the risk to leave Aly here or taker her with us and bring her somewhere else in a hospital. But like you said we are not used to fight humans.” Georgie tried to calm Lenna down, which didn’t really worked once her anger is enflamed it was hard to turn it off again, and at the other hand stopping Caleb to leave at the spot.

“Whatever.”

Elenna walked up in the rooms she had shared with her best friends.

Suck it up girl, at least Rome is safe. He would be no help at all to fight the FBI with someone who is wanted by the FBI.

"It's okay, I've dealt with worse hot-heads in the Army. I made a career of fighting humans before turning Hunter. Unfortunately, in a situation like this, violence is almost unavoidable. We could try to minimize damage, but that'd put us at a disadvantage if the FBI decided they just wanted us dead. They're probably gonna move your friends to different rooms to break up the group and throw us off their trail. At some point, they'll probably try to move them to a more secure spot. Maybe what's left of the police station," Caleb stated, his hands moving animatedly as he spoke, rapid movements flying in the face of his calm tone, "We'd need to find where the FBI moved them to or risk getting surrounded in the hospital. Which would not end well for us."

He checked his knife and pistols through his clothes, then nodded towards the hotel.

"We can continue planning when we get inside. Have the feds seen either of your faces?" Caleb continued, taking a few steps, then turning back to face Elenna and Georgie.

“No I don’t think so. I stop immediately when I saw that something is wrong.”

“I am not a hot-head.” Said Lenna sheepish.

This made Georgie smile, she knew Elenna trusted just two persons and they were both not here. And those two were the only one that cold call her a hot-head without getting more than a evil grin as an answer.

As soon the door of the hotel room closed Lenna looked expectantly at Caleb and ask the question she had asked today already.

“So what now? And to be honest I am not sure if I support a stupid idea plan a second time today.”

Lenna said this damn serious but smiled friendly at Caleb.

"We need recon first. We'll need to know how many new agents and cowboys they're bringing in, how many are on-duty at the same time and where they're keeping your friends. Once that's done, we can work out a game plan for getting them out. If we break one or the other out and escape, we can force their hand and make them try and transport the other. It's easier to hit a convoy than a hospital ICU," Caleb answered, "We can work out a floor plan easily enough - just steal some emergency evacuation maps from the Nurses' Room. Once we match your friends' room or rooms to that, we can work on getting in and out, and doing as little harm as possible. We get one friend out, then we wait til they try to move the other one to get them out. Trying to get both of them out of the hospital would require splitting up. With just three of us, that's not an option."

Caleb took a seat at the room's table and opened his jacket.

"Any questions so far?" Caleb asked.

“Sound as if you know what you are doing.” Lenna realized that this was different, sure mostly Rome are Raws made the strategic planning of their hunts, but while they did this she did the research. She had her part to play. But this time she wasn’t sure what her part was, which made her feel small and childish to believe this was easy. Now she understood what Caleb meant that the underestimated the FBI.

“Yeah I have some questions, if I may. Um how do we find out how many agents are here? Do you think they keep them in the hospital? I am not sure but Aly, wasn’t in the best condition when I left her. And just a little note: I am totally against splitting up. Oh and maybe it helps, but the hospital thinks I am a CDC agent. So maybe I can get the emergency evacuation maps. And one last thing. I am sorry for snapping at you, I am just a little nervous and well um scared. I am a nice girl, mostly.”

"Not a problem, I can get on peoples' nerves. They probably won't have all their agents in the hospital, but they'll be nearby. We need to plan this very carefully. Especially if we wanna minimize casualties. Because if the agents and local cops outside rush in while we're being tailed by the ones inside, we're screwed. Big time," Caleb stated, "We need a map of all the emergency exits, on every floor of the hospital, as well as any in the ICU. How injured are you two after taking on the Skin Walker? We need to take that into account too."

He rubbed his chin and tried to take all the variables into account.

"You said your friend Aly isn't in great shape. How's your other friend? Can he or she move without being carried?" Caleb asked.

“Um I am barely injured some bruises but not really much. All tried to keep me out of the reach from the walker. I, um I am good with myth and lore and I knew how to kill the walker. It just took some time to remember it. But that doesn’t mean that I can’t protect myself. It is difficult to think while a skin walker tries to kill you. That is the only reason why I am so less injured.” Elenna seemed a little embarrassed how less she was injured compared to the others.

“I am okay as well. Nothing bad. I have a mild concussion, some bruises and a sprained wrist.” Georgie seemed to enjoy the show between Caleb and Elenna.

“I am not sure how bad Danila is injured. He had a head injury, like a concussion. He could walk and think and well come up with a serious stupid plan. Maybe his head is pretty damaged. But he looks okay. So yeah he can move without being carried.”

"Then we rescue him from the hospital and bust your other buddy out of the convoy," Caleb announced, "And even though you can defend yourself, I'd really prefer if you carried a gun in the event we actually need to shoot anyone. Hopefully it won't come to that, but if it all goes down to a hail of lead, we're gonna need everyone shooting."

"So, what exactly are you two comfortable with shooting? We want something low-impulse to avoid overpenetrating and injuring bystanders. So pistols and submachine guns are what we're gonna be trying to use. And I don't own any submachine guns," Caleb continued, "Which leaves us at pistols or any subbies we can steal from the Feds."

“I have some guns in my car; don’t ask me what they are.” Elenna felt sick just be thinking at the weapons in her trunk. But Rome and Raws made she has different kinds of weapons, to protect herself. Even so she just practiced once to shoot with one of the guns.

“I can’t believe you are making me do this. Carry a friggin gun. I don’t even know how to shoot. I mean yeah okay I do know how to use them but that is just theoretical knowledge. I never tried to shoot a human.”

I just ignore the reason why I don’t like guns and I’ll be fine.

Elenna looked nervous at Caleb.

“We used all the silver ammo for the skin walker, I know we don’t need silver here I am just saying we used it. The normal is still there. When do we bust out Danila? I really have to carry a gun?”

Lenna couldn't hide the hope that Caleb found a way for her not to carry one.

Georgina scrutinized Elenna's face quietly. She knew that Lenna had issues with guns. Hell, she was a book on two legs, not somebody who likes to carry a gun around.
"Are you okay?" Georgina asked.

Elenna tried to hide her nervousness and played cool. She simply shrugged her shoulders.
"Sure. Why wouldn't I?"

"I know that you don't like to..."

"I'm fine!" Elenna replied harshly. She didn't mean to be rude to Georgina, but that was the only way not to show that she was damn nervous about the fact that she had to use a gun. She also didn't want Caleb to get the wrong impression of her. She was a hunter, after all, and not a little girl that liked to have tea parties in the backyard of her house.

"Okay, if you say so..." Georgina was not convinced, but she didn't want to start a discussion with her.

Georgie could read her so easily. It was a little scary. It seems as she even understood her, which normally never happens. Other girls don’t understand her; she was a book that had 7 locks tightly closed. Georgie did even ask if she was okay and the worst thing is she knew that Lenna don’t like guns.

Breathe in, breathe out, in, and out… Damn that doesn’t help. Didn’t Rome teach me something what should calm me down in a moment like this, or was it Raws? Gosh I seriously miss them so much. Rome sounded angry when I decided to stay here. In the past nothing had changed I need my team, friggin guy who shoots everything that’s moves and the other one who hits on everything that has boobs. I hope Rome knows how much more he had damaged me. I depend on the two way too much.

Lenna sighed took a pen and drew on her right hand a symbol. It wouldn’t help her, with any powers but it would help her to hold this friggin gun in her hand. The only way Lenna could manage this rescue she needed to block out what happened in the past. She would not have a breakdown in front of strangers. That happened once, and will not happen again. She straighten her shoulders, took a last deep breath and looked more than ever, or more than in the last few days, like the hunter she so dearly wanted to be.

"I'd prefer if you carried a gun, but if you're that uncomfortable with them, we'll try to keep it that you only have to draw or fire it as a last resort. Killing another human being's not something to take lightly," Caleb answered, "If at all possible, we'll be able to subdue the agents at your friend Danila's room without firing a shot. Then we need to get the hell out of dodge. Would he be able to make it out a window, d'you think?"

“Thank you.” Mumbled Lenna shy she didn’t dare to look at Caleb or Georgie. She felt stupid to make such a fuss about the guns.


“Um I think yeah he is able to get out of a window. He planned to do that with Aly before he got caught.”

Lenna was nervous; fighting humans was not something she ever wanted to do. Maybe creepy human hunting humans okay, but the FBI was not that type of humans mostly.

“So do you want me to go to the hospital and get the emergency evacuation maps?”

"Not immediately. The place is probably gonna be on alert after the hasty breakout attempt. Give it a little time to calm down over there, and take some time to sleep. Once you run out of adrenaline, your body's gonna crash. I'd recommend getting something to eat, something sugary to drink, sleeping on it, and we can start the recon and getting you familiar with the guns tomorrow," Caleb stated, trying to be reassuring, "I'll bring a tow rope to climb through the window along with us for the breakout too."

“Oh okay. We can order food from the room service, and…” Lenna seemed a little confused.

Sleep, well he does plan things different than my boys. A little bit weird.

“Sleep? Um okay. Didn’t thought, I mean it makes sense, adrenaline… familiar with… yeah sounds like a plan.”

For the first time since they are in the hotel room, she sat down. Her knees were like jelly know Caleb had mentioned it, the more times passed the more she felt tired.

I wonder if Rome is mad at me because I just hung up on him. I just know when I had given him more time I would be driving with them. It is some hours ago they left. I hope they are okay. I hate when they are right. I can’t handle anything alone. Damn it.

“The menu is over there just order what you want, I’ll take a quick shower.”

Lenna walked slowly to the bathroom, when she stopped at the door.

“Hey Caleb.” Lenna didn’t dare to around and she wasn't sure if he could hear her, because it wasn't more than a whisper when she said. “Thanks for your help.”

Caleb glanced up as Elenna stopped at the door and muttered what sounded like a "thanks for your help". Unfortunately, it was low enough that if he were a normal human, he wouldn't have heard her. He changed the curios glance in Elenna's direction to a curious glance around the room, looking for the Room Service menu. Exactly where Elenna had indicated. He looked over the food choices a few times - nothing too imaginative, but nothing too plain either. He made his order and passed the phone to Georgina to order for herself and Elenna. That done, all there was really left to do was sit back and wait for the food to arrive.

After Lenna was showered, dressed in clean clothes and well fed with Mac and cheese and the salad Georgie made her eat. She was sleepy and worried sitting on the bed and hugged her knees tight. She wasn’t even sure why she didn’t said to the other to that she goes to bed, but something in her wouldn’t allow her to sleep. She stared at the screen of her laptop, trying to do the only thing she believed she could do. She tried to find information about the FBI, she basically absorbed every information about them she could find. She was sitting so quiet on the bed that everyone who knew her for longer than a couple of days or just an hour would know something is wrong. But the two she was working with didn’t know her that well, so she couldn’t expect the two others in the room to see that.

“Do you think the FBI SWAT will show up?” she whispered not sure if she wanted to hear the answer, and not even sure if she wanted them to answer her.

Please don’t say yes. I am just reading the Wikipedia page about them and freak out about the weapons they carry. I am more scared of them, than of the skin walker.

Lenna was not really the hunter she was 3 days ago. To know that she was alone in Gallup with some stranger made her a shy 19 year old girl.

"I hope not. We're out-gunned as it is. But they're pussycats compared to the HRT. When I was in the Army, I cross-trained hostage rescue with them and, well, they're some badass cops," Caleb answered, leaning on the doorframe of Elenna's room, "I don't think it'll come down to them, though. It'd take too long for them to arrive from Quantico. And FBI SWAT, well, they're not gonna be sitting in the hospital waiting on us. The Feds won't be able to pen us in long enough for the SWAT Teams to arrive, so I don't think they'll factor into the equation. As long as we keep moving and stick to the plan, we'll be in and out before they can form a proper defence."

Lenna looked up at Caleb.

Wow and I thought Raws can be horrible. But this guy? He… I don’t have words for him. Yeah I might be a hunter, maybe a stupid one okay, but he is… I know I am bad in reading people, but he is even worse than I am. HRT? What the hell? Sorry look at me I am a girl, how many girls in my age do you know have been in the Army? All I want from the FBI that they leave me and the boys alone. We save friggin lives.

Even though she knew better and thought she didn’t want to know what HRT meant, if she just could move and stop staring at this guy. She was great in Poker but when it came to real live situation she couldn’t hide her feelings.

“Kay. You are really good in reassuring other people.”

Her voice was shaking and she wasn’t sure if she starts screaming or crying the next moment.

What would he do when I punch him?