A Subtle Agency

by Graeme Rodaughan

  He was about to be cut in half.

  Collapsing, he rolled onto his front, the two streams of fire crossing above him. He smelt the burnt metal of the tracers as the bullets ripped through the air. He immediately pushed himself off the container, leaping upward and to the right as the lines of fire started to swing back toward him. Pointing the barrel of the automatic shotgun toward the sources of the firestorms he pulled the trigger, his shotgun burst into action and a stream of spent shells filled the air to his left. As he rose into the air, he caught sight of his assailants, three vampires in Shadowstone combat armor were rushing along the top of the maze in a V formation, two in front and one behind. They broke formation as he fired at them, spreading out across the maze walls.

  I can only fire on one at a time and the other two will kill me.

  Reaching the apex of his leap, he drew the MP7 with his left hand, aimed it at the vampire on the left and pulled the trigger while he continued to direct the shotgun at the other two vampires. He could see the vampire watching him take aim, he darted further left as the high-velocity rounds streamed through the space he had just vacated.

  The rearmost vampire suddenly leaped into the air, landing on the maintenance walkway and immediately began running toward Li. The barrel of his M249 smoked as fire lanced along the length of the walkway.

  Li immediately rolled off the walkway, dropping toward the maze wall below. She fired her MGL as she fell, thermobaric grenades streaking toward the walkway and the vampire whose line of fire was swinging toward her.

  ‘Li!’ Anton screamed as he landed back on the maze wall.

  The vampire leaped off the walkway, which promptly exploded in a blinding glare, disappearing from sight as he dropped the full distance onto the floor of the maze.

  Anton landed back on the containers and started zig-zagging his way toward Li and the river, while emptying his magazines at the pursuing vampires.

  A second later the fallen vampire appeared back up on the maze wall, joining with the lead vampire running forward on Anton’s left, firing their M249s as they blurred along the maze wall.

  ‘There are too many,’ Anton yelled, dodging violently aside as bullets and tracers whipped past him.

  Gang called out, ‘fall back!’

  Suddenly the warehouse was enveloped in another set of pyrotechnics.

  Li! Giving us cover.

  Anton saw the nearest vampire, now only ten yards away on his right, put his gauntleted hand up to shield his eyes. Anton pointed both of his guns at him, pulling the triggers - they both clicked on empty.

  The praetorian dropped his hand and barked a short laugh.

  The vampire, a heavy set blond man with a battle axe at his hip and a sword over his shoulder, stood an equal distance with Anton to the only section of the maze wall that gave access to the river. Anton had run past it and was in danger of being cornered against the wall of the warehouse.

  Snarling, the blond vampire raised his light machine gun. Anton stared down the barrel, watching the vampire squeeze the trigger, he ramped aside. The M249 fired, spitting two rounds which whizzed past Anton’s head, and then ran dry. The vampire cursed, dropping the gun. Dragging his battle axe and sword from their scabbards, he blurred toward Anton.

  I have no time.

  Reaching the junction on the maze wall at the same time as the vampire; Anton wheeled around, with the Blue Dragon in his hands, he parried the blond praetorian’s attacks.

  Time slowed, his sensory awareness went into overdrive. He felt the way that he had in the kitchen at the Noodle House when surrounded by the four Tiger Clan gangsters and their Mac-10s. Suddenly calm, the Blue Dragon arced up through the air, flicking left and right, each time it moved it deflected a slashing strike by the vampire.

  Suddenly the vampire’s booted left foot slammed out, catching Anton in the gut. He found himself flying through the air, back a dozen yards before crashing down onto the containers. The landing jarred the Blue Dragon from his hand, he groaned with more than pain when he saw it fly over the top of the maze wall, dropping to the floor below.

  He saw the blond vampire blur toward him, behind him came the other two vampires on his side of the warehouse firing bursts from their M249s which whipped past him.

  There’s a claymore mine down there, and less than three seconds before it fires.

  Anton heard Li scream, ‘Anton! No!’

  He dived over the side after the sword, he rolled as he hit the ground, there were still fireworks streaming across the roof of the warehouse, and the Blue Dragon gleamed on the floor. Across from it, the claymore stood on its squat tripod legs staring right at him. Snatching up the sword, he ran at the side wall of the nearest container that was butted up against the warehouse wall.

  I have to get higher - now!

  * * *

  Gang dropped the MP7s as they ran dry.

  The vampires sprinted forward, letting go of their empty M249s. They reformed into an A formation, one in front and two behind. The lead praetorian, a very tall powerfully built man with flowing black hair, carried an oversized double-bladed battle axe. He swung it back and forth as easily as Gang could swing a Shinai Bamboo training stick.

  As the praetorians closed, Gang suddenly flipped backward. His hands disappeared into a six-inch wide space at the end of the container, as he came back up to his feet, he pointed the blue-daubed MGL at the onrushing vampire, and fired from point blank range. The grenade spat from the muzzle, immediately expanding into a fist sized cloud of razor sharp, silver flechettes that carved through the chest armor of the praetorian. He froze in place as the other two vampires, a tall redhead, and an athletic African-American blurred past him, slashing at Gang with their swords. Drawing the White Dragon free of its scabbard in a flash, he blocked the first blows of the vampires’ weapons.

  He blurred backward, calling out, ‘Li!’

  Li fired her MGL, a thermobaric grenade struck the paralyzed vampire. The heavy explosion rocked the maze wall, and the praetorian, now a seven-foot-tall flaming torch, toppled over, falling off the wall.

  She’s a good girl.

  Gang’s heart swelled with pride.

  * * *

  Chloe stood poised on top of the crane gantry, accelerating her mind and extending her senses to their limits.

  A hundred yards above, her own Nightfalcon hovered, while the other two Nightfalcons circled the warehouse, their waist miniguns manned and tracking the perimeter of the site. The RHIB stood fifty yards off the side of the dock, the men on board manning their weapons and watching all directions around the boat.

  The warehouse was full of pyrotechnics, the sounds of gunfire had ceased, and the clash of metal on metal had begun. The Shadowstone tactical comm links were thick with shouted commands as James Haley and Louise Wesson led the remaining operatives into the warehouse.

  The praetorians and Chloe maintained a separate channel that ran on their voice prints, cutting the Shadowstone operatives out of the vampire’s communications.

  ‘Spengler is gone,’ Hendricks said grimly.

  Chloe smirked, feeling your mortality are you?

  ‘Keep pushing them toward the dock,’ she ordered.

  Chloe turned, scanning the perimeter, there was no sign of Francis Mirovar and his team.

  We left all the communications systems open around this site, surely you know that this battle is happening? If you wait too long, it will all be over.

  Staring into the black depths of the Mystic River, she frowned and hissed, ‘where are you hiding? Are you down there in the water?’

  * * *

  Anton ramped to maximum speed, racing along the wall of the container.

  He climbed to the warehouse wall, and then to the opposite container, literally running his way up to the top of the Maze. He saw all three vampires move onto the containers around him.

  A thermobaric grenade exploded within the warehouse, all of the vampires looked away, and two blurred out of sight.

>   The blond vampire remained, his face twisted with hatred, he glared at Anton, shouting, ‘Come to -’

  The claymore went off.

  Anton felt something pin his right foot for a moment, but he ran on gaining the final two feet up the maze wall, stepping out onto the top of the maze. He immediately ducked to avoid losing his head as a sword slashed through the air above him. Parrying the praetorian’s second attack with the Blue Dragon, he turned aside the vampire’s battle axe, which instantly embedded itself into the warehouse wall.

  The vampire was momentarily slowed as he dislodged his battle axe.

  Blurring past him and away from the warehouse wall, Anton again moved back and sideways toward the river. On the other side of the warehouse, Gang and Li were wielding the White and Green Dragons as they fought the other four vampires.

  As the last of the pyrotechnics faded away, Anton heard a shout from the front of the warehouse as Shadowstone operatives clambered onto the top of the maze wall, immediately running toward the river end.

  Anton wheeled around again to defend himself from the blond vampire who rushed upon him, slashing at him with a combination of sword and axe attacks.

  He was five yards to the right of where Gang and Li fought the other vampires, he backed away under the blond praetorian’s onslaught and the two melees merged into one.

  Outnumbered, Anton, Li and Gang gave ground to avoid being surrounded by the five vampires and the onrushing Shadowstone operatives beyond them. In seconds, the battle spilled out of the warehouse, Anton found himself trading blows next to Li, against three vampires as they edged backward along the floodlit dock. Gang had become separated and was underneath the nearer of the two crane gantries trading blows with the remaining two praetorians.

  * * *

  Chloe watched from above as the battle spilled out onto the dock.

  Anton and Li Wu were fighting Calley, Senna, and Hato while Gang stood beneath the second gantry fighting with Hendricks and Smithson.

  She glanced once more out at the river, looking for the missing Order team.

  Sighing, she dropped lithely down to the dock.

  She landed, drawing the Red Dragon from its scabbard, she whispered, ‘and so it progresses, as it must - to blood and ruin.’

  * * *

  Anton saw a figure clad in black drop with superhuman agility from the top of the crane gantry, landing beyond the vampires fighting Gang near the butt of the dock.

  He struggled to stay alive against the sudden and powerful attacks being launched by the three vampires. Li blurred next to him, but so did the vampires as blades crashed again and again.

  I sure hope that is Francis Mirovar.

  The Blue Dragon drew sparks as it ground along the blond vampire’s sword until the two hilts clashed and Anton found himself inches away from the vampire’s face. The praetorian pushed back hard, Anton half fell, half leaped back. The vampire struck again, Anton twisted violently away to the left, ducking under the vampire’s battle axe as it swept vertically down. He dragged the Blue Dragon through an arc that would have gutted the praetorian except that he also turned and moved, just fast enough that the blade scored his body armor without penetrating it.

  Anton spun, bringing the Blue Dragon to guard position, as attacks came from both sides, even though ramped to maximum, he was unable to avoid getting slashed across the right shoulder by the razor sharp tip of another vampire’s sword.

  Anton’s blood splashed; the vampire grinned, snarling, ‘I will drink Order blood tonight.’

  The blond vampire shouted, ‘Senna, the Order pup is mine.’

  Anton blurred forward, swung his blade low, dived and rolled to his feet on the other side of the blond vampire.

  Screaming, the blond vampire turned away, hopping as the Blue Dragon had sheared through his left foot.

  The other vampire rushed after Anton, who met him with the gleaming meteoric iron of the Blue Dragon, their swords clashed in a shower of sparks as Anton’s blade sheared along the edge of the vampire’s blade.

  Anton felt his perception spontaneously accelerate and time slow, as his Ramp fluctuated beyond his control. His mind raced, taking in with a glance the battle around him. The vampire in front of him leered at him with a face filled with hate. The blond vampire was steadying himself, rushing back into the battle. To his left, Li was engaged in a lethally fast war of blades with a Japanese vampire of samurai heritage who wielded a shining black handled katana. Beyond the melee, he saw praetorians, a big red-haired one, and a lithe African-American fighting a ferocious battle with Gang beneath the nearest crane gantry. Shadowstone operatives swarmed out of the warehouse, their rifles held high, red dot sights crisscrossing the dock in a crimson web.

  Anton felt a surge of wild emotion as he realized that it was Chloe Armitage standing beneath the far crane gantry.

  He started to move toward her but had to suddenly dodge back to avoid being cut in half by the vampire named Senna.

  Chloe Armitage stepped forward, shouting at the operatives, ‘hold your fire!’

  The Shadowstone operatives pulled to a halt, their guns remaining fixed on the three targets of Li, Gang, and Anton, the five praetorians continued to attack.

  Why doesn’t she order us shot?

  The three praetorians continued to press hard against Li and Anton’s defenses, he stopped thinking, devoting himself to keeping Li and himself alive for as long as he could.

  * * *

  Chloe caught James Haley’s gaze and shook her head.

  The barrel of his gun dipped, as a scowl briefly crossed his face before he hid his feelings.

  She turned back to stare at Gang as he fought the two praetorians. Both vampires had cuts, Hendricks more than one - Gang was unharmed.

  They cannot touch him - interesting.

  Chloe waited, watching as Gang fought the two praetorians that she had sent against him. Behind him, the other three vampires pressed hard against Anton and Li Wu. Her senses expanded to their maximum, she accelerated her mind to its full extent. The world slowed down and she watched Gang’s techniques in detail, absorbing every nuance, learning every move.

  Witnessing with every fiber of her being, she consumed everything that she saw, without effort, she would be able to repeat Gang’s techniques perfectly. This was the second of the powers that she kept hidden from her master, Cornelius Crane; the power of muscle mimicry.

  Fascinating, he is a beautiful exponent of the katana. I have not seen such mastery since I fought Arthur Slayne in the secret passages beneath St Peter’s Basilica.

  The diamond on Gang’s sword drew her attention as she focused on the blade’s familiar, perfect form.

  Her breathing quickened.

  He has the White Dragon.

  An electric thrill shivered along her spine, smiling broadly, her body and soul sang.

  This is a challenge, a test of mastery - who will survive tonight? He is one of Slayne’s students, the innovations, clarity and purity of technique is a signature of the master’s influence.

  Chloe felt a rare excitement rise within her, anticipation edged with fear - she would attempt to take Gang’s life tonight - but there was a shadow of doubt as to who would be the victor.

  ‘How rare,’ she whispered.

  * * *

  Li had begun her training on her third birthday.

  Drawing on everything that she had mastered over the last fifteen years, she beat back the samurai vampire’s sword with a set of flashing strikes, forcing the vampire to give ground. With him on the back foot, she immediately changed direction, charging toward Anton and the two vampires that had him surrounded. The blond vampire was preparing to plunge a chrome bladed battle axe into Anton’s head and with every ounce of power that she could muster, she launched a flying kick at the base of the praetorian’s skull. Connecting with a sickening crack, the vampire flew limply through the air, landing with a mighty splash in the Mystic River.

  Li landed on her feet, immed
iately deflecting a slashing, overhead strike by the Japanese vampire who had followed after her. Rushing past him, she slashed hard, but he managed to roll over the Green Dragon and avoid being cut in half.

  Li found herself back to back with Anton, as all four simultaneously paused as if taking the time to consider options after the removal of the blond vampire from the fight.

  Anton and Li circled in place, the two vampires stalking them just beyond striking distance.

  ‘You’re bleeding,’ Li said. ‘I thought I taught you better than that?’

  Anton grimaced, ‘thanks, I’m sure that I needed reminding.’

  ‘And your foot as well -’

  ‘Huh?’ Anton said, glancing down in surprise.

  ‘Don’t look down,’ Li hissed.

  The vampire named Senna was in front of Anton, he arched a waxed eyebrow, and spoke quietly, ‘don’t worry young fellow, in moments I will free you from your wife.’

  ‘We’re not married,’ Anton and Li both shot back.

  They struck out at their opponents, and the fight was joined again as they fought back and forth across the dock.

  * * *

  Squad Leader Harvey West commanded the rigid hulled inflatable boat and his small team of Indigo-6 operatives.

  It had been a long day, cruising up and down the river opposite the warehouse, making sure that no one crossed the perimeter in either direction. They had all watched the battle unfold, jacked in with the Shadowstone tactical comms links they had heard everything that their fellow operatives had said. His fingers itched to pick up his assault rifle and take a shot at the terrorists now fighting on the dock. He could see them clearly in the warehouse’s flood lights. It seemed crazy to him that the fight was still ongoing. Why were they fighting with swords? There were three Nightfalcons armed with heavy weapons - just lay down a barrage on the dock and kill them all.