Army of Humans and Monsters-The Book

Chapter 23

During the ride back to the base, Tabitha found herself strapped down on the bottom of the inside of a case, next to Bloodtooth, with Wolfblood on the other side of her, who had the bound sleeping body of Orangetail on the other side of him.

“Um Cindy, I noticed that um, Wolfblood seemed to hesitate when he was trying to say your name after we got out of that car,” she said. “Do people tend to call you something else?”

“Well, my full name is Cynthia Mellissa Bloodtooth,” Bloodtooth said. “However, most people tend to have a nickname that just seems to stick to them. Mine happens to be Bloody Teeth.”

At this, Tabitha gulped, and asked, “Why do they call you that?”

At this, Bloodtooth looked at her and gave her a friendly smile.

“Because,” she said. “I tend to bloody my teeth, and claws, while protecting the lives of humans, like you kid.”

“Do you really do that?” (Tabitha)

(The following is Bloodtooth speaking)
“Yah, in my first battle, about eleven years ago, I took on a whole enemy force of several hundred men, while protecting a human village, which was run according to its tribe’s culture, and while friendly, wasn’t really into technology. Well, when the battle was over, I was covered in blood, so I went to take a shower under a waterfall. The village’s witch doctor, or shaman, saw me bathing under it, and started chanting something, looking at me with a smile on occasion, and saying the translation of my name in his language, which was Bloody Teeth. The guy had blessed me, saying that I was a warrior of Righteousness and Virtue, and asked his gods if they would protect my spirit. When it came time for me and the others to leave, he gave me a gift, a blue and green colored stone, with a hole drilled through it with a cord tied to it. The one person who could speak our language the best said that the stone was created by the gods of the river and forest, and that only those who were favored by the gods could receive it. The man then asked me to kneel down, most likely because I was taller than him, and placed the cord around my neck, as if it was a priceless treasure in and of itself. After that, in everyplace that I’ve been stationed, someone always called me Bloody Teeth when they told my name to the natives, and when I did something, like save the village or its people, someone always gave me something that held great value to their people’s culture. Of course, while I accepted those gifts, when the children tried to give me their favorite toys, I couldn’t really accept those. However, I did something that cheered them up. I would shift into my human form, which your cousin finds very attractive by the way, take out my knife, cut a small lock of hair, braid it, and give it to them, telling them that it would be as if I was with them if there was ever any trouble. Needless to say, even the leaders of these peoples were impressed by this simple gift of mine, and thanked me for it themselves. Needless to say, I have quite a collection of gifts from those peoples.”

Then, Tabitha asked, “Is there something going on between you and my cousin?”

“Well, I am his guiding officer,” Bloodtooth said. “Also, he did help me out with a sting operation the other day, catching someone who bought military property without a proper license.”

“Um, what sort of property?” Tabitha asked.

“The breathing kind,” Bloodtooth said, as she looked back up at the roof of the case. “Unlike the rest of society kid, the military realizes the importance of every life, especially those of the very young. So, sometimes, we send two undercover operatives to certain restaurants, one pretending to sell the other to the owner of the place. Once the sale has been confirmed, we swoop in, capture those who work or go there, claiming that the place had bought stolen government property, and rescue those held there, and help them out. Should they be of recruitment age, we give them the chance to serve, and if they decline, we will help them get on their feet. If they are under the age, the officers on the base take care of them and in some cases, adopt them, or let their families take care of them. As for the really young, like newborns and toddlers, and the like, should a young female officer wish to care for the child, the medic on the base will put a spell on their breasts, causing them to produce milk, so that they can breastfeed the child, until it doesn’t need milk, at which time the spell is ended. At that time, the officer might decide to adopt the child.”

“Why would the military do something like that?” Tabitha asked.

At this, Bloodtooth sighed, and said, “Because, when a human soldier, who could have ran, took his officer’s spot and gave his life for the man, who had been planning on eating him a few minutes earlier, it showed the officer, a werewolf, that all life is valuable. Then, in honor of the man’s sacrifice, the officer, and those who had served with the man, set out to make sure that every soldier was treated fairly and given equality, from the tallest of giants, on down to those who are lowest on the food chain, humans. After that, the military made it a mission to see the fallen soldier’s dreams a reality. That soldier, who gave his life for the officer, was William Henry Jenkins the First, your great-grandfather. The officer, whose life he had saved, was mine. Also, I owe my own life to him, because, when great-grandfather returned home after that day, he got his wife pregnant with my grandmother, who had my father, who then had me. Also, after your family’s murder, I, along with bunch of other officers, swore an oath, to catch and kill the traitor who had done the deed, as well as find any survivors of The Uniter’s bloodline.”

“You do realize that you are telling her classified information,” Wolfblood said.

“I know Wolfblood, I know,” Bloodtooth said, with a sigh. “The Doc can wipe it from her memory later, after she and her cousin meet up again, and get reunited. However, she does deserve to know the truth, if only for a few minutes.”

“So, how does this memory wipe work?” Tabitha asked.

“I wouldn’t know,” Bloodtooth said. “We tend to use it on those who have broken the Code, and are to be dishonorably discharged. We do it so that they can’t remember how the military works, our tactics, the other officers and soldiers, and especially about how everyone is treated the same and that even a giant has to follow the orders of a human officer, and other such things. All that he will know is that he broke the rules, and that it was decided by the higher ups that he was to be discharged, and stripped of any protections that the military once gave him.”

“So, what about someone like me? How will they do it to me?” Tabitha asked nervously.

“It will probably be something along the lines that I saved you because of the fact that your cousin is in the military,” Bloodtooth said, as she looked at the woman. “You won’t remember this conversation, my face, my name, my rank, or anything about your great-grandfather. All that you will remember is that a werewolf, who is an officer in the military, saved you from being eaten by that kitsune over there. However, you will remember seeing your cousin, and anything that he might have said, providing that it wasn’t classified information. However, I will see about dropping by from time to time, in one form or another. However, you will only know me as Cindy, a friend of your cousin, one who also serves in the military. After that, the military will find a place for you to stay, preferable with those who are under our protection, like Sally. After a mark has been placed on you, saying that you are military property, you will be free to do as you wish. After that, no civilian agency will touch you, like police or tax collectors, for fear of having your owners, the military, hauling them off and having them executed. Also, we will see about helping you with any schooling that you missed, and see about finding you a job with someone who works with us.”

“Like what sort of jobs are we talking about?” (Tabitha)

“Whatever job you want, we will set you on the path to reach it. Storekeeper, model, actress, teacher, doctor, whatever, the military has connections to those that can help you reach it. Admittedly, it might take you a few years to get the position, but, what sort of job doesn’t take time to get anyways?” (Bloodtooth)

“Well, what about William, will he be allowed to see me?” (Tabitha)

“Well, he won’t be able to visit you himself for the next six months, and you won’t be allowed to see him. However, the recruits are allowed to write one letter a week, which is examined by the officers first, and send it to their families, and they are allowed to receive letters, everyday, and they won’t be examined,” Bloodtooth said, as she gave the woman a friendly kiss. “By the way, I owe your family my life.”

“Why is that?” Tabitha asked.

“The officer that your great-grandfather gave his life for was mine, and after that day, he got my great-grandmother pregnant with my grandmother. Needless to say, I’m in that man’s debt and I’ll do everything that I can to keep you and your cousin safe from harm. Also, I’ll see to it that the man who murdered the rest of your family, who is a traitor by the way, is brought to justice, and pays for what he did,” Bloodtooth said, as she pressed a pressure point on the woman, knocking her out.

“I was wondering when you were going to knock her out,” Wolfblood said, as he saw the woman fall limp.

“I know,” Bloodtooth said, as she removed her hand from the back of the woman’s neck. “It’s just that, she is, in a sense, a member of my family, and you know how I don’t like it when my family is in danger. The whole pack thing, and the Jenkins bloodline aside, I do care for her cousin, and I did make him that promise, that I’d find her, dead, alive, or otherwise.”

“It’s alright,” Wolfblood said, as he felt his stomach start to beg for blood. “Um, would you mind it if I feed on the kitsune?”

“I wouldn’t mind it if you drained him dry of blood,” Bloodtooth said, as she kissed the woman’s forehead gently, and friendly. “He was trying to get me out of my uniform throughout the movie, and get himself in me, if you know what I mean.”

“And this coming from the same woman that likes to have sex with every other equally ranked male officer on the base,” Wolfblood said, with a chuckle, as he turned his head, and sank his teeth into the sleeping kitsune’s neck.

“Yah,” Bloodtooth said. “But that is because I want it, and not just the other guy. Him, hell, even if I wanted to have sex, I’d sooner be covered in blood and have sex with you when you are going through withdrawal, and risk being drained, than even have him so much as kiss me. No offence meant comrade.”

“It’s alright,” Wolfblood said, taking a pause from his snack, as it were. “I know that my wife doesn’t get much satisfaction from me anymore anyways, and I even told her that, if she wanted to, she can seek out another for when she wants to have sex. After all, I’m as cold as a corpse.”

“Yah, but you have a warm heart, one that still beats, deep inside.” (Bloodtooth)

“Yah, I just wish that it was my blood that flowed through it, instead of that of other people.” (Wolfblood)

“Hey, it’s not your fault. Your squad was ambushed, and you were in pieces by the time that reinforcements arrived. As for the medic, he was new and made the mistake of trying to revive you without sufficient energy to get everything completely healed. After all, it takes more energy to repair a guy whose throat was torn out as opposed to being just slashed or stabbed.” (Bloodtooth)

“I know that, it’s just that, I envy Jenkins, and every other living human. They have their own blood, they can feel the warmth of the sun, the coolness of a breeze, and, a lover doesn’t recoil from them when they are in the same bed together.” (Wolfblood)

“Well, I don’t know about the rest, but I might be able to help you out on that last one.” (Bloodtooth)

“Oh, but you know how the military frowns on that sort of relationship between those of different ranks.” (Wolfblood)

“Yah, but if they don’t ask, we don’t tell, remember?” (Bloodtooth)

“Isn’t that after the rule that says that no soldier is to rape another?” (Wolfblood)

“I wouldn’t know. Dragon-Man (the officer who had bought Bloodtooth from prison) never really talked about the rules that dealt with sex, in either of his forms. After all, Dragon was too busy having sex with me at night and Man was too ashamed about Dragon’s behavior to talk to me about it during the day. However, I do hope that they are alright overseas. I mean, I may not really care for Dragon, but he is connected to Man, and if one dies, so will the other, and I care about Man, because he saved me from being executed.” (Bloodtooth)

At this, Wolfblood just chuckled, and went back to his snack.