The Soldiers of Night, Chapter 1: A Ray of Sunshine
Title: The Soldiers of Night
Fandom : Moonlight
Characters : Mick, Beth, Josef, Coraline, Simone
Rating : R, for some sexual content, violence, and strong language.
Spoilers: Post -"Sonata"
Summary: Twelfth in my post-Sonata series. When a dead body turns up wearing a ring like Mick's, Mick must relive his past and reveal his membership in the brotherhood called, The Soldiers of Night.
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters; no copyright infringement intended.
A/N: I always thought that cancellation of the show prevented us from seeing an episode surrounding Mick’s striking and ever-present ring. I hope my attempt at solving the mystery behind it is a plausible one. Once my vision took hold, I haven’t been able to stop writing, so expect fast updates, at least initially. Oh, and I’m doing something different this time around. I’m actually putting titles on each chapter! It might make it easier to remember which chapter you’re on (and me too, lol).
Thanks for reading and supporting another of my stories. I’m still having a lot of fun writing, and your reviews help to make that happen!
Chapter 1: A Ray of Sunshine
BETH
I really hated everything about the City Morgue-the sickening smells, the windowless creepiness of being in the basement, the idea that most of the people in it had died in horrible ways. But visiting there had been part of my job since I worked at BuzzWire, and now, in the DA’s office, Assistant District Attorney Ben Talbot insisted I go with him if ever a case warranted it. He liked the hands-on approach to investigative law enforcement. On this particular occasion, we were there to check out the body of a John Doe, found stabbed in the heart not a block from where I lived. Ben thought I might be able to identify him, that maybe I’d seen him around my neighborhood. I half hoped I hadn’t.
As luck would have it, Guillermo was working. It was always great to have his expertise, both in the human and vamp worlds, and I knew Mick trusted him implicitly. He was busy with an autopsy, and I looked away in disgust as he sensed our presence and drew up a blue sheet to cover his work.
“Drew the day shift, eh, Guillermo?” I asked him. It wasn’t the favorite shift of a vampire. He turned to me with a smile.
“Oh, hey, Beth. Yeah, it sucks to be me these days.”
All business, Ben nodded politely to Guillermo. Ever since the situation with the list of vampires late last year, Ben had kept his word to stay out of vampire business. He knew Guillermo was a vampire, but he didn’t acknowledge it in any way, and he never spoke of Mick, unless I brought him up.
“We’re here to see the John Doe brought in yesterday.”
“Sure thing.”
He pulled out one of the refrigerator drawers that housed the deceased, pulling back the familiar sheet. Guillermo began his official narrative.
“Victim looks to be in his late seventies. No forms of identification or distinguishing marks. Bled to death from the stab wound to the left side of the chest. It penetrated his heart. Looks like it was likely a sword of some kind.”
He had been a distinguished looking gentleman, dressed in a brown tweed suit and muted paisley tie. Maybe a professor or teacher of some sort.
“You recognize him, Beth?” Ben asked me.
“No. I’ve never seen him before. Why would anyone want to kill someone’s grandpa?” I was feeling a little sick.
“Robbery?” Ben suggested. He looked at the police report he’d brought. “No. Says here he had fifty dollars and some change in his pockets, a watch and other jewelry, still on him.”
It was then I noticed the ring he wore, on his right index finger. It was a striking piece of what I knew was white gold, a filigreed cross in its center, with a round, iridescent moonstone gem beneath the cross. I would know that ring anywhere, because Mick St. John wore the exact same one on his exact same finger.
I looked up at Guillermo. “Interesting ring,” I said, trying to sound casual, though I felt my heart pick up with dread.
He held my gaze meaningfully. He’d obviously noticed the similarities to Mick’s ring, as well. “Yeah, isn’t it? Quite a chunk of gold, there.” I hoped Ben had never paid attention to Mick’s ring.
Ben leaned in closer to examine the ring while I mouthed to Guillermo: “Vampire?”
He shook his head once. Guillermo would have been able to sense if a vampire had been involved in this killing. I was glad Ben wouldn’t have to be a part of another vampire crime.
“Hmmm,” said Ben noncommittally, looking up from the body. “Anything else you discovered in your examination?”
“Nope. But something might come up when you get the DNA results. He’ll be on ice here as long as you need him.”
“Thanks,” Ben said simply. He looked at me. “You ready, Beth?”
“Yeah. Thanks, Guillermo.” As Ben walked toward the exit, I purposefully left my purse on a nearby table. I indicated with a smile and nod that I’d be right back.
Halfway to the elevator, I stopped short. “Damn,” I said to Ben. “I left my purse in the morgue. I’ll get it and meet you back at the office.”
Ben looked at me suspiciously, but didn’t protest. I knew I’d face more questions from him later if I didn’t watch it. Ben wasn’t stupid, which was certainly why he’d made it so high up at such a young age. I watched the elevator door close between us.
Back in the morgue, Guillermo was waiting for me, the body of the unidentified victim still pulled out from cold storage.
“Have you called Mick about this?” I asked him without preamble.
“Not yet. Hey, it may be just a coincidence.” He was trying to comfort me, but my curious nature wouldn’t leave this alone until I ruled out Mick’s involvement.
“What do you know about these rings? Mick ever tell you where he got his?” Guillermo was trying to fill in some blanks of his own.
“Not much,” I told him. “I asked Mick in passing once what the ring meant to him. I think he said he got it in Europe somewhere. A momento. He wasn’t too forthcoming. You know how he can be. ”
Guillermo smiled. Yeah, he knew alright. Everyone who was friends with Mick St. John knew what a private person he was, slow to trust others, even other vampires he’d known for years. He and Guillermo had been through a lot together, so he was officially in Mick’s loop, but that didn’t mean Mick shared everything.
“Well, this guy wasn’t a vampire, so hopefully that’s not the connection. Kinda weird that a ring from Europe might end up on the finger of a dead man in the same city as Mick,” I said. I took out my cell phone and snapped pictures of the ring and of the man’s face.
Guillermo slipped the ring off the dead man’s finger. “I’ll send this over to Logan, have him research it. I don’t think Talbot will miss it for a few hours. Meantime, you think you can use some of your feminine wiles to get Mick to tell you more about his ring?”
I grinned, assuming a terrible German accent: “I haf vays of making him talk.”
“I’m sure you do, Beth,” he said suggestively. I winked at him and told him to let us know what Logan found. Outside, in the bright sunlight, I gave Mick a call.
“Hey sweetheart,” said my beloved, that deep, sexy voice still giving me chills.
“Hi. I need to talk to you about something. It has to do with a John Doe that was murdered last night. You busy?”
“Only if you call shooting the breeze with Josef being busy. I’m at his office. You wanna meet me here?”
“Sure. Josef might have some insight on this too. I’ll be there as soon as I can. Love you.”
“I love you too. See ya in a bit.”
I looked little guiltily at the DA’s office building across the street, knowing I was risking Ben’s wrath. I went to the corner and crossed over to the parking lot, jumped into my car, and headed for Kostan Tower.
MICK
“Beth’s on her way over,” I said to Josef. “ Something to do with a dead body.”
“Always a ray of sunshine, your little human. But we still should have time to finish this discussion.”
Josef set down another golf ball at one end of the putting green he had set up in his office. He claimed it helped him think; but that wasn’t the topic in dispute today. I rolled my eyes from my place at the conference table.
“We’ve had this argument on and off more than twenty years. We’re not going to change each other’s minds. I’m telling you, everything was preplanned. He’s the god of his universe, Josef. He decided long before he created it what was going to happen. The triumph of good over evil. The redemption of the lord of darkness. Your pessimism just ruins everything, takes away from your enjoyment of the whole thing.”
Josef’s putt sent the ball straight down the green and into the cup at the end. He smirked at his own greatness, then stopped the ball with his foot as it was automatically kicked back to him. He looked up at me, his passion for this topic animating his face.
“He might have planned things partly, at least in the beginning,” Josef conceded, “but after Empire Strikes Back, it was like Lucas was making it up as he went. No way he knew during that movie that Luke and Leia were twins. Otherwise, he would have spared us that incestuous kiss just to make Han jealous. And don’t get me started on the colossal mistake he tried to gloss over in Revenge of the Sith, about Luke and Leia’s mother dying? Sheesh! After that disaster of a movie came out, it was all I could do not to put out a hit on George Lucas myself. He betrayed us, Mick. He betrayed us all!”
He putted again, but so worked up was he that the ball missed the cup entirely, rolling toward the office door.
“Dammit!” Josef exclaimed. I jumped up and retrieved the ball, then held out my hand for the putter he tossed me. I set up the ball and proceeded to hit it in the cup perfectly about ten times in a row, while the battle of wits continued between us. The buzz of Josef’s intercom saved us from another hour of this pointless discussion.
“Mr. Kostan, Miss Turner is here.”
“Send her in.”
The minute my Beth entered, our eyes clashed, and I heard the pleasant sound of her heart skipping a beat. I would never grow tired of that, or how her cheeks flushed a little at our proximity. I handed the golf club back to Josef, and embraced Beth, kissing her lips softly in welcome. I hadn’t seen her in a couple of days.
“Hi, Mick. Hi, Josef.” But she was still looking at me when she greeted him. She shook herself a little after a moment, then walked further into the office.
“Hi, Beth. Maybe you can help us end this debate.”
“Josef-“ I warned; the last thing I wanted was to involve her in our trivial pursuits.
“Come on, Mick. Logan, for all his knowledge, was clearly on your side. Beth is a bright girl, she’ll shed some brilliant light on this subject.” Without waiting for my-or Beth’s-agreement, he dove right in. “Tell me, Beth. What do you think about George Lucas’s screw-up in Revenge of the Sith?”
I put a hand over my eyes, certain she was going to draw a complete blank, embarrassed that I had been caught in the midst of such a silly argument.
“Well…” she began tentatively. “If you’re talking about the way he re-wrote history by killing Padme, I’m definitely on your side, Josef.”
Josef laughed in triumph. “See?”
I groaned. “Okay, one vote for your side. Now, Beth, about this murder you mentioned?”
Beth and Josef were still smiling at each other, thrilled at their newfound alliance.
“Beth?”
“Oh,” she laughed. “Sorry.” She took out her cell phone and opened it to a picture. “You recognize this guy?”
I took the phone. “No. Should I?” I handed it to Josef, and he shook his head, returning her phone to her.
“Huh. Well, I was hoping you would, considering he was wearing this…” She pulled up another snapshot and I looked at it, then held up my right hand in comparison.
“That’s my ring,” I said in surprise. “This dead man was wearing a ring like mine?”
“Yes. Do you know how that could be?”
Josef had turned away to look out the window onto the late afternoon cityscape. Just like he’d predicted forty years ago, it had come back to bite me in the ass. Beth was waiting for my answer.
“No, I’m not sure why this guy was wearing the same ring. Here, let me have another look at him.” I touched a button on the phone to bring up his face again. I looked at it more closely, trying to imagine what he might have looked like forty years before. He might have been in his thirties then. Yeah, that would be about right. His hair was gray and thinning on top now, and I couldn’t see his eyes, but it could have been him. I gave Beth her cell phone.
“I’m not sure, but this could be the man who gave me my ring, back in 1968. And the police have no idea of his identity?”
“No,” Beth said, trying to put the pieces of a puzzle together without a big picture to look at. “He’s a total blank at this point.”
“Well, if I’m right, his name is Royce Hampton. And he was a vampire hunter.”
“How do you know that?” asked Beth, incredulous.
“Because I used to be one too.”
A/N: So, how do you like this set up? I hope to take this story to places you don’t expect, so the next chapter begins with a flashback. I already am a couple chapters ahead (for once), so that should tell you how excited I am about it. I hope you enjoy it and tell me what you think!