by Jory Smith
“Guard, last time you put the chains on to hard. You will loosen them up this time.”
“Of course, “the guard said adjusting the handcuffs “Is that better?”
“Much better. Tell me, how packed is it in there?”
“You have brought in a full room. Lots of people have come to see your sentencing. They are even standing in the back.”
“That is good, real good. How is your sister doing? Is that guy bothering her anymore?”
“Not at all, thank you for helping me with that,” The guard mentioned as he handed Nicolai a sharp object. “Here is that item you requested. The deputy will be diagonal from you, a few feet away. You know you didn’t get it from me, right?”
“I won’t tell a soul,” Nicolai said, and then, thinking to himself, today I finish what I started long ago.
Nicolai was escorted into the courtroom and he began looking around at the spectators. As he was lead to his chair, he saw the deputy exactly where the guard said he was going to be. And behind the deputy Nicolai saw a man that looked vaguely familiar. He wasn’t Russian. The mad was old but in excellent shape. If it wasn’t for that white hair, he would look like he was just under thirty. Then it hit Nicolai as he sat down. It was the same man who was there the night he killed the deputy’s daughter. Nicolai thought it was his imagination since he was never called as a witness.
Nicolai was brought back to reality when the bailiff pulled him up to his feet and growled, “You are supposed to rise when the judge enters,”
It happened again. That man made him forget his surroundings. Nicolai grimaced. If it wasn’t for that man I would have never left behind my DNA. I would have cleaned up better. I am going to talk with him after this show is over. But first that deputy is going to get what is coming to him.
“Mister Altukhov, we are here to sentence you to life in prison. What do you have to say for it?”
Here is my moment, Nicolai thought to himself.
“Well judge, I can still hear that Davalka squeal like a pig that night when I had her underneath me, when I stuck her again and again and…”
Nicolai was cut off as the deputy jumped to attack him. Just as he planned, he took the shiv out and started sticking the deputy. The shiv being barbed and coated with a poison, the deputy had no chance.
“So are you still going to go with the plan?” the woman asked in a seductive voice. The way she spoke, the way she walked, she could say you are about to die and make it sound like it was a good thing. This woman always had her way with men. Even with women.
“If you fail, the world will be destroyed”
“If I don’t, the world as we know it will be destroyed,” The Old Man replied. “They can do it. They take on the traits of their fathers. They can do this,” The Old Man gasped. “They have to do this.”
“Will they even believe you? It has been an eternity since they have seen us. They think we are myths. Do you want me to go and talk to them? I am sure I can be more convincing than you can ever be,” she said as she shifted into an even more provocative stance that showed off her breasts more.
The Old Man wanted to say yes, but this had to be done right.
“No, I will do this myself. You will go home, do you hear me?”
“Fine, if you say so,” The woman said pouting.
If he was paying attention, the Old Man would have noticed she was shocked at first that he even refused her offer. Rarely has a man been able to turn her down. But his mind was on something bigger. If one piece fails, the whole world will burn. Then he would wish he did allow Ares to have his way.
Chapter 3
Terry was on his way home after a long day of following Jake’s wife around. Terry had concluded that Jake’s wife wasn’t cheating on him. Terry had to use some of the illegal methods he learned in Special Forces as well as other tricks he picked up. She was actually having some family problems—family on her side—and didn’t want to trouble Jake about it. She is a good woman. Terry thought as he drove home. She knows that Jake has his own problems and did not want to take his mind off the important factor—him getting home. What a good woman. Luckily, I have one just like her.
While Terry was driving around, a great idea popped into his head. It was during this time that he decided he would use his money to open up an animal shelter. He had more than enough money from the lottery. It had been the biggest jackpot in history and he was the only winner. After taxes, he took in over $500 million. Then he got lucky again investing in the right stocks. Even if he opened up the animal shelter, he would never have to work again. The best part of the idea was the fact that Jessica loved animals and she was always volunteering at the animal shelter. Whenever Jessica came back from volunteering, she would complain how horrible they treated the animals. This was something they could do together.
Terry finally pulled up to his house but noticed all the lights were off. She must be working late again, he thought. We definitely have to get away.
Terry opened the door and walked into the kitchen to get a drink of water. As he turned to the fridge he saw a note. As he read what it said, he slumped to the ground.
Terry,
I hate to write this because I really like you. You have no drive in life. It seems you are just a shell. You don’t want to do anything in life except party. I am not like that. I want to make my mark in this world. I want to do well. I want to live life to its fullest and you are just dragging me down. We need time apart. We need our space. You can do anything you want to. When you finally get your life together contact me. You just need to get out of the rut you put yourself into. I guess this is good bye. I hope we can talk again. I have packed all of my stuff and moved out. Don’t come by my office. This has been hard on me as well. But hopefully this will kick start your life into something positive.
Crumpling the note in his hands, he stared off into space.
A horrible feeling washed over Terry making him want to throw up. Even the grenade he took in Iraq did not feel as bad as this. Terry had girls come and go all the time. This one was different. She was going to be the One. He wanted to settle down and start something with this girl. He even got out of this so-called “rut” he was in because of her influence. His idea was even something she would have loved. He would never did this for any of his other girlfriends.
Just one more day, he thought. If only Jessica would have given me one more day, things would have been perfect between us.
“I know how it feels to have your heart ripped out. She still loves you. Just give her time and she will come back to you. In the meantime, you have something important to do,” a voice said in the dark.
Terry looked to where the voice came from. “Who the hell do you think…”
Suddenly the Old Man stepped out of the darkness to where Terry could see him.
“You,” Terry said accusingly. “You are the one that keeps following me around. I knew I wasn’t crazy.” Terry jumped to his feet and got ready to defend himself. “What are you doing here? Better yet, who are you?”
“Well if you would let me explain, I will. Let’s start off with the easiest question to answer. I am Zeus and I am your father, Tereus.”
Terry looked at the old man like he was crazy. There was this crazy man in his house naming himself Zeus.
“Yeah right. You are an insane old man. I am going to call the police,” Terry tried to move toward his phone, but couldn’t.
“What’s wrong, Tereus? Having trouble moving?” Zeus asked as he admired the craftsmanship of Terry’s house. “I am not going to let you move till you hear what I have to say. I am your father. I noticed your mother twenty-four years ago and I had to have her. But she was so in love with your ‘father’ that no matter how many times I tried to seduce her, nothing happened. That made me want her even more, so I waited till the night of her marriage. At that night when she went to the bathroom to change, I put your father under an enchantment and took on his form. After the night, I implanted the m
emory in your father’s head and left. Then nine months later you came along. Why do you think you excel at everything? Why everything was so easy for you, both in knowledge and in physical strength? Do you think you suddenly just came up with those numbers in your head to win the lottery? You foresaw those numbers in your head and put them down without even thinking about it. And how about those investments you just picked out?” Zeus stopped to study Terry’s face. “I know you are mad. I can see it from your expressions, but I am going to let you go. Don’t do anything rash.”
“Okay, let’s say I believe you,” Terry said in a mad voice. “If you are my dad, then why after all these years have you suddenly decided to appear before me? And why do you call keep calling me Tereus?”
“I call you Tereus because that’s your name. You won’t believe me even if I tell you. That’s why you will have to come with me. So I can prove what I am telling you.”
Terry watched Zeus with suspicion. “Why can’t you just show me right now?”
“Because my powers are limited here and to make you believe me, I will have to show you some horrible events.”
“What makes you say I don’t believe you?”
Zeus sighed with annoyance. Perhaps I should have let Aphrodite gather these three. “First of all, you are reaching towards that gun in that cupboard. I guess we have to do this quick. Go ahead and shoot me so we can get out of here.”
“Okay,” Terry replied as he pulled out his gun and shot the old man. An odd thing happened. The bullet never reached the man. The only thing that happened was the bullet stood in midair spinning.
Terry’s hand dropped to his side and his gun dropped from his grasp. Terry just stood there looking at the bullet floating in midair.
“Now, if you step this way we can get this meeting going. I still have a couple more people I need to pick up”
Zeus grasped Terry on the shoulder and moved him along. Terry reluctantly followed Zeus, still watching the bullet spin in midair. As Zeus and Terry stepped through a portal Zeus made, the bullet continued its projection into the wall.
After the fiasco in the courtroom, the guards dragged Nicolai to a cell in death row and continued the beating they started in the court room. One of the duty guards had to pull them off and that’s where they left him. There he lay on the wet cold floor, wallowing in pain.
God they sure did hurt me. Nicolai thought as he checked his injuries. One of them broke one of my ribs and I am in the hole with no medical care. At least I finally finished it.
Nicolai continued to reflect as he laid on the prison floor. Bloody and bruised he held his hand to his aching ribs. He reminisced to the time when he was the best hit man in Russia. Everyone was afraid of him, even the bosses who hired him. They just knew that he would get the job done. The reason he was the best was from his need to kill. He would have to kill or he’d get the shakes. He was always quick to anger.
Then he met her and his whole life turned upside down. When he was with her, he didn’t kill and he never got the shakes. The urge to kill never plagued him when she was with him. He wasn’t as quick to anger anymore. All that changed when she left, the urge came back worse than ever. The shakes came back and he needed to kill again, to be around death. Nicolai could only find solace in death now.
“I wish I knew what was wrong with me.”
“There is nothing wrong with you. You are exactly how you are supposed to be, being his son and all.”
Nicolai looked around his prison cell and saw that same old man he’d seen the night he got caught and at the trial.
“I must being going crazy.” Nicolai said coughing up blood. “In my last moments of death, I finally see you. What are you my conscience?”
“I am not your conscience. And there is nothing wrong with you; you are just like your father. Well, he is not as extravagant as you are. He always hated being put in charge of the afterlife. Here, let me help you with your injuries.”
The old man moved over and ran his hand over Nicolai’s ribs.
Nicolai’s ribs stopped hurting and the pain left his body. Nicolai checked his rib cage and they were healed.
“Who are you, old man, and what do you mean about my father? I was an orphan. I had no parents.”
“That is not entirely true. Your father is Hades, and I am Zeus.”
“Yeah and I am Aphrodite.”
“Actually you’re too ugly to be Aphrodite. I am Zeus. How else do you think your rib cage healed? The reason death is so natural to you is its part of your heritage. You’re the son of Hades. Death is in your nature.”
“If death is in my nature and I am a god, then where are my special powers?”
“That is a good question.” Zeus sat down on the bed in the cell. “You are not a god. You are a demi-god. The reason you don’t have any powers is because they are restricted in this world. It’s a long story. If you want to know more, you can come with me and learn. You have lots of work ahead of you and I can help you control your urges. I can also give you the power to take revenge on the people you want.”
“What is in it for you? I don’t take on a job unless I know what the contractor gets. And what do I get out of this as well? It doesn’t matter to me if I learn how to control my cravings.”
“I will give you the power to have control over life and death. I will give you the power to destroy your enemies. I will give you immortality. I will give you the power to bring back the people you love.”
“Well Zeus, you have just hired yourself the greatest hit man ever. Who do you want killed.”
“I want your father, Lord Hades, king of the underworld killed. You will also be working with two other men. I don’t want you to discuss our little arrangement with them. Let’s just say, they may have a moral dilemma with what I want you to do.”
“Of course confidentiality is a given. Like I said, I never had a father. I agree to the terms.”
Besides, I have a chance to bring back Celeste if what he said is true.
In two hours, General Amadi’s army had been eliminated. The drones had come out of nowhere, not only wiping out his camp, but the camps of his other battalions. Then came in the special force units and mopped up the stragglers. Turned out it was a joint operation between the Americans and the Congolese army. Now it was back to the beginning. Barely a third of his army made it out of the massacre. Now his army was scattered over five different camps.
Amadi had been so close, but he was betrayed. That was the only way his army could have been wiped out so soon. Someone gave his camp locations to his enemies. The real question was by whom. Not only did he have to find the traitor, but he would have to keep control of his army. He would be surprised if he had more than a third of his men tomorrow.
I guess we're going back to the good ole days of banditry, he thought bitterly. Maybe some country would hire me and my army. One time in his life he had thought about converting to Islam; they were always looking for a good soldier. But the whole suicide bombing didn’t sit well with Amadi. The fact he would have to take orders from some fat slob who didn’t know one thing about warfare permanently disqualified that idea. He would have stayed with the current government’s army if he wanted to do that.
Then the idea of Sudan came to his mind. That place was going to light up soon. With the south Sudanese breaking from the North and controlling most of the resources for the country, war was going to come. Amadi was sure the South would pay a handsome salary, but so would the North.
If I join up with the North, it will be more fun. Hopefully whoever is left of my army will join me. Give me a better bargaining chip with the North.
“General, we have received runners from each of the Battalions,” the newly promoted Sgt. Major said, interrupting his thoughts. “They have reported heavy casualty losses, as well as desertion. They are wondering if they should run down the deserters.”
“No they should not run down the deserters. Bring in the runners. I want to talk with them directly.”<
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“Will do, Sir, May I ask a question first?”
“Go ahead, Sgt. Major.”
“What are we going to do now? If the government has the Americans as allies, there is no way we can defeat them.”
“Let me ask you a question before I answer that one. Why did you join up? Was it to fight for your country, make money, boredom?”
“Sir, it was because of money and the fact that I could not protect my mom and dad from government soldiers. I have a couple of sisters that are further in our territory. I need to protect them”
“Well Sgt. Major, if that is all you want, how would you feel immigrating to Sudan?”
“Sudan?”
“Yes, Sudan. The South has recently broken away from the North.” Amadi said as he showed his new Sgt. Major the news article. “It was because of all the oil that the South has. War will come to Sudan. The split happened too peacefully and there are some factions who feel they may have gotten the worse end of the deal.”
“Sir, what does that have to do with us? We are Congolese.”
“We are going to grab our piece of land and money from that area. It doesn’t matter which country gives it to us, just as long as we get it,” Amadi emphasized. “We just need to keep as much of our army together as possible. We can demand a larger payout if we can keep our army intact. So the real question is who do you want to work for? The good guys or the bad guys? Keep in mind, the good guys will probably pay us the least amount.”
“Sir, I say we fight for the good guys. By then we will have built enough goodwill that perhaps we can live in peace. I will go and get the runners now.”
That is a noble Idea, but peace is not something I want, Amadi thought. It is the battle that I love and what I want. If I am not able to have the warrior’s life, I don’t know if I can live.
Amadi made his way to bed after he had debriefed the runners. He gave them orders to start having the commanders meet at the rendezvous. They will have to perform a strategic maneuver if they were to make their way to Sudan.