‘Same here,’ Jones said, showing them his screen with three green dots streaming away from the explosion.
‘I will take the one heading northeast,’ Chloe said decisively.
‘I will take the one heading south,’ Jones said.
‘I will take the last one,’ Haras said.
‘Keep your earpieces active, stay in touch, try and capture them alive,’ Chloe added. ‘We need information, not kills.’
‘Good hunting,’ Haras said, leaping over the edge of the rampart. Landing at the base of the tower, he ran toward the west, disappearing into the night.
Jones followed him down, also vanishing into the darkness.
Chloe paused, long enough to smile with satisfaction.
One pawn sacrificed and one knight distracted.
She leaped over the edge, running off to the northeast, her phone providing her the same Panopticon tracking information that was leading the others. In less than ten minutes, she had covered the distance to converge on her target.
She saw him disappearing down a sewer. From the tell-tale heat plume, he was clearly ramped, almost certainly a Red Empire assassin.
‘Entering the sewers, I will lose comms in moments,’ Chloe said to the others.
‘Noted,’ Haras replied.
‘Yes, Ma’am - I’ve found mine,’ Jones said.
Dropping through the sewer entrance into the maze of pipes underneath the city, Chloe heard the sounds of gunfire, rapidly followed by sword on sword combat erupt over the comms link. Running into the darkness, her vampire senses left no doubt that she was following her prey as his warm footprints left a trail on the cold concrete. She was on a service walkway, above the actual contents of the sewer. She didn’t need the Panopticon system now, she was close enough to her target to follow his footprints, body odor and the almost imperceptible noise of his movements. Her comms link gave a little hum in her ear as it lost contact with the satellites, she shut it down, slowing to a walk.
I can hear their heartbeats, five of them, they are close.
Chloe rounded a bend where she was confronted by five Red Empire assassins, one of whom was the sweat-drenched runner that she had pursued. They were all armed with long slim bladed swords and Uzi 9mm submachine guns. They carried their blades drawn and their Uzis were pointed directly at her.
The lead assassin lowered his weapons, ‘General Armitage?’
‘Indeed.’
‘We are to take you to meet Shabbah al Ahmar.’
‘As was agreed.’
‘You will need to disarm, and to wear a hood as the location is secret.’
‘As was expected,’ Chloe said, she took off her sword belt and handed it to the leader of the squad.
One of the other assassins approached with a thick black hood and she allowed him to place it over her head.
A moment of truth, I will get to find out if Shabbah al Ahmar will keep his word.
‘Lead on, I will follow you by sound.’
Chloe followed the assassins as they proceeded to traverse the sewers of Jerusalem to the secret Citadel of the Red Empire.
* * *
The hood was removed; taking in her surroundings with a glance, Chloe saw that she was in a large hall without windows. There was a high vaulted ceiling, the walls were of smooth gray stone, and the lighting was supplied by modern electric fixtures.
Underground.
She was surrounded by twenty-five armed warriors. The hand-picked elite of the Red Empire led by the man standing two yards in front of her, Shabbah al Ahmar.
She smiled at the man in front of her, the Red Ghost, she had met him twice before, the first time on a battlefield, but without closing, the second time by mutual choice in a place of secrecy.
He had given her his personal name, Dalien Morte.
His hatred for Cornelius Crane eclipsed all other forces in his life. Chloe did not know the origin of Dalien’s hatred, it was enough to understand its power. She had been able to form a bargain with him that had delivered a shared agent in the Order of Thoth operating in her heartland, al Ghurab, the Raven.
In exchange, she would provide high-level operational intelligence from the Vampire Dominion.
‘What brings the right and left hands of the Demon to this land?’ Dalien said.
‘Crane believes that the Interpretive Codex is in the hands of Shabbah al Ahmar and he wishes to possess it.’
‘Does he believe that four vampires ... no, make that three vampires can breach our defenses?’
Chloe arched an eyebrow, tilting her head slightly, ‘... I am here.’
Smiling wolfishly, Dalien said ‘you would dare to challenge us here, alone and unarmed?’
Chloe smiled quietly.
Around her, men loosened swords in their scabbards. She heard safeties being released on Uzi submachine guns, smelt the silver in the bullets, and sensed, like a ringing bell, the anticipation in the room. All these men had been trained from childhood to do one thing very well - to kill, and especially to kill vampires.
Dalien snorted, ‘of course not. You play your own game.’
Which is why we are talking and you and your men are not dying on my blade.
‘Indeed, I do. Shall we begin?’
‘What do you have to offer?’
‘I will provide you with the exact location of the Key of Ahknaton, and the Papyrus of Hakron the scribe. All I require in payment is to verify that you have the Interpretive Codex.’
‘What makes you think that I have the Codex? Crane is delusional.’
‘Cranes information is good; you have the Codex.’
Dalien frowned, ‘you are very certain about such a doubtful claim.’
‘Unless the Red Empire has lost the Codex, it still has it, as it has been in your family line for five thousand years.’
Dalien scowled, ‘what you offer is insufficient.’
Chloe smiled, ‘I also offer my continued good will and future opportunities for mutual benefit ... which is an offer of great value.’
Dalien paused, stroking his short dark beard, ‘so be it. I need to ensure that you have no recording equipment, such as a contact lens with data storage capabilities. I will need you to be closely examined before you can approach the Codex.’
‘Of course.’
Dalien glanced at one of his men and commanded, ‘search her.’
A young member of the Red Empire force stepped forward with a device the size of a smartphone. Chloe stood still as he swept the device over her body, running it carefully and slowly in front of her face. The device gave a quick chirp; she could see that the screen had gone green.
‘She’s clear,’ the young man said, rejoining the ranks surrounding her.
Dalien touched his earpiece, speaking rapid commands in Arabic. A minute later, the large doors at the end of the hall opened and an old man dressed in a simple gray robe walked into the hall. He carried a long, silver scroll case. Bowing low before Shabbah al Ahmar he handed over the case. Dalien dismissed him with a wave of his hand, and moments later the doors were once again closed and locked.
There are more guards beyond that door, I hear their breathing.
Dalien stepped away from Chloe, opening the case, he extracted the scroll within, and placed it flat on a lectern at the rear of the hall. This scroll was much shorter than the Papyrus of Hakron the Scribe, only a foot square.
Instructions only.
Chloe seethed with anticipation.
I am close, so very close to what I seek.
‘You will need to approach without any clothing or equipment of any sort,’ Dalien declared.
Chloe arched an eyebrow, ‘... agreed.’
She was dressed in loose combat fatigues, she undid her belts and webbing, her hand automatically reaching for her scabbard on her left hip, she smiled wryly as she clutched empty air. Looking to her right, she saw the leader of the squad that had escorted her in holding her sword and belt. She wondered if he comprehended the unique v
alue of the blade, fashioned from meteoric iron by a genius sword smith in late 17th century Japan.
She did not doubt that she would soon hold it again.
Chloe disrobed, placing her clothes in a neat pile on top of her combat boots in the middle of the room. The room fell into silence as the assembled Red Empire assassins watched her walk in perfect confidence toward the lectern.
Every eye was on her, swords were drawn, the doors to the room had been securely locked. She could hear their heart rates accelerate as she reached the lectern, stood behind it and glanced down at the Codex.
So that is how it works, how remarkable to devise such a code in such a primitive time.
Chloe looked up from the Codex and briefly scanned the assembly of Red Empire Assassins. For a long moment, her eyes unfocused as she merged the instructions of the Codex and her perfect memory of Hakron’s Papyrus into a single image; realizing the truth of the Key of Ahknaton, the Metaframe and the genesis of the vampires.
Intense joy bloomed within her, surging euphoria rushed up her body and fountained through the top of her head. The realization was both shocking and profound; in a rare moment of abandon, she laughed out loud.
Vampires were an accident - who knew?
The men in the room swayed before her, her laughter had momentarily unnerved them, their confident stances became defensive as they murmured warnings to each other.
Chloe slowly stroked her chin - just once before her hand dropped back to the lectern. Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly, a slight smile curling her lips, she took a breath and sighed.
She was suddenly intrigued with the possibility of seizing the Codex and fighting her way out of the Citadel. She was excited by the daring nature of the deed, no vampire had ever accomplished such a thing, the theft of the most holy artifact of the Red Empire from the heart of their Citadel, but she was the premier warrior of her kind, unequaled in skill with the blade. If any vampire was going to complete the feat, it would be her.
She contemplated the twenty five Red Empire assassins surrounding her, twenty five Ramp experts, each a highly skilled and experienced killer versus her unarmed self. Her mind accelerated, racing through options, calculating results versus risks, anticipating action, and counter-action. In a moment, a path of probability opened, revealing a set of actions that made the chance of success substantially better than a coin toss.
She was sorely tempted. The assassin that stood ten feet to the left of her now would be the first to fall. His sword would become her own, the man standing opposite him would be next, and then with a sword in each hand, she would reap the lives of the elite warriors of the Red Empire.
The leader of the escort squad would be the sixteenth man to die. She would leave a blade in his heart and then with her katana, the Red Dragon, in her hand, she would kill the remaining nine in ... fourteen seconds.
She would leave Dalien Morte to the last; giving him time to fully understand the depths of his failure in allowing her to enter into the heart of his Citadel.
With the room cleared she would reclaim her clothes, and then with the Codex in her left hand and the Red Dragon in her right, she would leave the Citadel, slaying all who would oppose her departure.
This rush of wonderful joy I feel now would be sublimated into divine bliss.
She tapped the sides of the lectern with her fingers and stepped back.
But I cannot deliver the Codex to Crane, once he has that, I am sure that he will decide that he no longer needs me, and with Allemande’s curse in place I am unable to defend myself against him - I would surely perish and my vision of a new world order with me.
Chloe took a breath, addressing the assembly, ‘you do not trust me. Given that you do not know me, that is understandable, but tonight you will discover that I keep my word. This is the Interpretive Codex, and I will answer Shabbah al Ahmar’s questions.’
Dalien ordered the doors opened, the Codex taken away and the room cleared. In moments, Chloe and Dalien were alone.
Dalien stared at her, frowning and stroking his beard.
He has realized that I got more out of this than he bargained for.
Dalien declared, ‘everyone here felt it, your joy at seeing the Codex and your disappointment that you could not take it with you. So powerful, these men could not help but react. You are dangerous beyond belief.’
‘I’m only dangerous to my enemies. My friends, on the other hand -’ Chloe left the statement hanging, smiling at Dalien. ‘However, I am at a disadvantage, you are clothed and I am not.’
‘Of course, please dress.’
Chloe put her clothes back on and turned to Dalien, ‘the answer is simple. The Key and the Papyrus are kept in a secret room in the inner sanctum of Crane’s personal quarters in his Citadel. The Citadel is at 350 on Fifth Avenue, New York City. His personal chambers are on the 104th floor. The defenses of this building and the surrounding city are very formidable and designed to thwart an attack by the Order of Thoth or the Red Empire.’
Dalien pursed his lips, ‘that is sufficient,’ he grinned, his dark brown eyes flashing with triumph, ‘you may go now.’
‘Thank you for your ... hospitality.’
Dalien touched his earpiece, and gave orders, in moments the original escort squad returned to the chamber. However, this time, the assassin who had led her into the sewers was bound with chains.
‘Give General Armitage back her weapon and this man, and return her to where you found her. Ensure her safety while she is in your care.’
Dalien turned to face Chloe, continuing, ‘al Eunza owes the Red Empire a life debt, his acceptance of this mission of sacrifice will allow his true name to be remembered in honor, instead of shame.’
Chloe nodded and smiled, ‘if his name is to be honored, I shall ensure that his death is by the sword as befits a servant of the Red Empire.’
Dalien nodded his head.
Chloe once again accepted the black hood and she turned, following her escort away.
His heart still has not returned to its normal range after seeing me nude. I will be able to leverage his desire. Now I need to bring Marcus to Jerusalem and lead Haras and Jones on a merry chase for a few weeks to allow this mission to take on the semblance of a real search.
He thinks himself secure in this hole in the ground, but little does he know that even though I wear this hood - I can remember my steps perfectly.
* * *
For the umpteenth time, Anton punched the air.
Li locked up his arm, ducking underneath his shoulder, she twisted him around, throwing him face down on the mat. He rose to one knee, sweeping with his foot, but Li had already leaped back out of range. Jumping to his feet, he gave ground as Li tested his defenses with a series of kicks that were just fast enough to get past his blocks and evasions, in moments she finished him with a side kick that propelled him off the training deck.
‘Ha!’ Li grinned, ‘I’m amazed, you lasted more than ten seconds that time.’
Fantastic, I finally lasted more than ten seconds in a fight with a woman half my size and it has only taken two and a half weeks to get to double digits.
Anton picked himself up, getting back onto the training mats.
Li held up her hand, ‘enough.’
Anton frowned, ‘I can do more.’
‘Physically, yes, but not today. We need to focus on your Ramp control.’
Li walked over to a rack that held Shinai and Bokken training swords made of flexible Bamboo and hardwood respectively, she picked one of the Bamboo Shinai and stood in front of Anton.
‘What is this?’ She asked.
‘A Shinai training sword.’
‘Those are just words, what is it?’
‘It’s a Shinai.’
‘You’re not allowed to name it. What is it?’
‘A Bamboo sword.’
‘That’s just another name, a tag. Do you think that the sign out front of the Restaurant “is” the Noodle House?’
&
nbsp; ‘No, of course not,’ Anton said, becoming exasperated.
‘Tell me what it is without words.’
‘... Huh.’
‘Tell me what it is with silence.’
‘...’
‘Let it be what it is ... don’t put words on it,’ Li continued.
No words.
For a long moment, Anton felt his internal voice go silent.
That’s weird, he thought as his mental voice came back.
‘Hey, I just stopped thinking for a few seconds.’
Li leaned forward, smiling, ‘that’s the easy part.’
‘She struck him on the shoulder with the Shinai, ‘now do it while I’m hitting you.’
‘What?’
Li whipped the Shinai forward, striking him on the other shoulder.
‘Hey?’ Anton said, evading the next blow.
Li moved, striking him twice more, left and right beneath the ribs.
Anton tried to blank his mind, but he kept thinking about what Li would do next, trying to anticipate her actions and avoid getting hit. Suddenly she used the Shinai to trip him and he landed on his butt. Before he could rise she pressed the Shinai against his chest, pushing him flat on his back.
‘You’re very attached to thinking, aren’t you Anton?’
‘I guess.’
Li nodded, ‘well, let’s go with that. A thinking man’s explanation before we proceed, Okay?’
‘Sure.’
Li sat down opposite Anton.
‘Mastery of the Ramp begins with listening.’
‘Okay, I thought I was doing that.’
‘Anyone can listen with their ears, what the Ramp requires is listening with the mind.’
‘Uh huh?’
‘There are four types of listening, and three transitions between them. The four types are indifferent, ordinary, silent and profound.’
‘What are the differences between them?’
‘Consider a conversation, indifferent occurs when your mind wanders away, and you hear nothing of what the other person is saying. Ordinary is when you hear the other person’s words, but you are also thinking about what you want to say, so you are not really paying attention to their words. Silent is when you just hear the other person’s words, and your own mental chatter is absent.’
A Subtle Agency Page 11