Sepia Blue-Sisters: A Sepia Blue Thriller

by Orlando A. Sanchez

  “You targeted a Hunter, one close to Gan,” she said, and sighed. “What did you think would happen? He was just going to let her be killed because you wished it so?”

  “I’m the Overseer, Lynn, I expect obedience,” he replied and turned to face her. “The Sisters need to be taught a lesson—a permanent one.”

  She sat in the chair opposite his desk with her long legs crossed. The air around her vibrated with contained tension. She was a coil ready to spring, a cobra ready to strike. The hood she wore kept her face in shadow. Her steepled fingers covered the lower half of her face as she spoke.

  “Being Overseer doesn’t mean omnipotent,” she said. “I thought your role in the previous Overseer’s demise would have made that clear.”

  “Magnus was a fool and deserved his early retirement,” Marks said. “I won’t make the same mistake.”

  “And yet you challenge the Sisters,” she said. “Sounds like career suicide to me. You think you can do this?”

  “Yes, and I have it handled,” he said. “I called Kala.”

  “You did what?” she said quietly, each word encased in steel. “On whose authority did you employ the Black Hunters?”

  “My own,” he said, leaning forward. “No one and nothing is going to stop me. I am going to erase the Unholy and once that’s done we won’t need Hunters or Sisters.”

  “Kala can just as easily dispatch you as well as your targets.”

  “I paid him a small fortune to make sure this was done right,” Marks said.

  “You’re a fool if you think money matters to Kala and his Hunters.”

  “It matters enough to get the job done.”

  “You’re playing a dangerous game, Overseer,” she said. “One that may end badly for you.”

  “It’s the only way I play,” Marks said. “Now, do you have information for me or is this a courtesy visit?”

  She remained silent as she pushed back the hood and stared at him. The anger came off her in waves as she leaned forward. Marks reflexively moved back.

  “We never pay courtesy visits,” she said after a moment. “The artifact you need is in the archive under Bryant Park.”

  “Did you say in Bryant Park?” Marks asked. “I thought it was moved from there years ago.”

  “No, Overseer, under Bryant Park,” she said. “Considering your recent choices you’ll need it to remain among the living, I think.”

  She placed a paper tube on the desk in front of him.

  “Where in the archive?” he said unrolling the tube and looking at the map she brought.

  “The lowest level,”—she pointed to a corner of the map—“where an artifact of this nature is usually kept.”

  “This is similar to the archive under Home,” he said. “Are they connected?”

  “There are tunnels that have been unused for decades,” she said. “It’s possible one of those lead to the Bryant Park archive.”

  He nodded as he looked at the map. “Anything else I need to know about this keystone?”

  “I don’t have more information about its location. I do know you will need a catalyst to unlock its power.”

  “What kind of catalyst?”

  “Something created around the same time and possessing as much power or more—a named blade.”

  “A named blade?” he said, incredulous. “Is that all? Are you insane? I can’t access the blades—no one can. The ones in use are bonded and the others are sealed.”

  “You don’t need to,” she said, standing up. “The Gray has recently come into the possession of a named blade.”

  “What? How did you get it?”

  “It was surrendered by a recent ex-Hunter who has since joined the Sisters.”

  Marks smiled. “That’s perfect,” he said. “I’ll use her own blade to destroy the Unholy, the Hunters, and anyone else who dares to stand against me.”

  “Once you join the keystone to the blade, you will be stronger than the Unholy, or any Hunter for that matter.”

  “That’s what I’m counting on,” Marks said. “When will you have the blade?”

  “In several days,” she said. “Gan will place it in a secure vault and it will go missing. When that happens we have a small window of opportunity before he realizes it’s gone and unleashes hell—so you need to have the keystone by then.”

  “What about the rumor I heard about handling a Hunter’s blade?” he asked.

  “If the blade is not touched until the keystone is merged with it, you will be safe,” she answered. “Once joined, you can reshape the bond of the blade, and it will be yours.”

  She placed the hood over her head again and stepped to the window.

  “Get the keystone and I’ll make sure you have the blade,” she said as she jumped out of the window and disappeared.

  He went back to the map, grabbed his phone, and made a call.

  “Get me someone who knows the old archives, especially the one under Bryant Park—I need to investigate something there.”

  “Yes, sir,” came the reply.

  *******

  The tall figure stepped around the statue of Columbus on 59th Street. He wore a black suit with a black tie and a crisp white shirt. His dark skin gleamed in the fluorescent lights surrounding the circle. On his neck, the mark of a chimera moved and undulated with each step he took.

  “Did he believe you?” he said to the woman approaching him in gray fatigues and hood, which cast her face in shadow.

  “He is obsessed with power and this Hunter,” she said. “I just needed to give him the right incentive. Are you sure this will work, Onyx?”

  “Certain,” Onyx said. “And the keystone? Will he be able to obtain it? Without it this is a pointless exercise.”

  “I gave him the map and he has access as Overseer,” she said. “I should get a call from him in a few days reporting a successful retrieval. There is one complication, though.”

  “Complication?” he said. “What kind of complication?”

  “He has employed Kala and the Black Ones to eliminate the Hunter and the Sisters.”

  Onyx remained silent for a moment as he looked into the park.

  “This can work to our advantage,” he said. “Can you secure the sword?”

  “Yes, I told him we would steal it from a vault, but we can take it in transit,” she said. “But I will need help. Gan will have it moved in a few days.”

  “I will send you the assistance you need,” he said. “Make sure you get the weapon.”

  “I‘ll need the Shadows and some Dreadwolves,” she replied. “How will Kala being involved help us? Won’t they be in the way?”

  “We want them in the way,” Onyx said. “We can use him to deflect the Gray and the Order from our involvement.”

  “Everything will point to Kala,” she said. “And we can eliminate the Overseer.”

  “Not before the ritual,” Onyx said. “We need him alive until then.”

  “The sword will be moved at night to deflect attention,” she said. “I’ll inform you when. We have to move fast.”

  “By the time they understand what happened they will have lost the opportunity to strike.”

  “With Kala and the Black Hunters taking the blame,” she said.

  “Precisely,” he replied. “Does Marks or Gan suspect you?”

  “Marks suspects everyone, but he’ll act on my intel,” she answered. “He wants power and recognition. Gan is careful but I have his trust.”

  “Good. The cost—did you tell Marks?” Onyx asked. “Does he know what will happen once he joins the keystone to the named blade?”

  Lynn smiled. It was a thing full of malice, matched by the smile on Onyx’s face.

  “You know, that part must have slipped my mind,” she said. “I’m sure he’ll find out soon enough.”

  “By then it will be too late,” Onyx said. “The ritual will have begun and his fate sealed.”

  He laughed and faded into the night.

  EIGHT
>
  Sepia had found the library and was looking over some of the old architectural drawings of Home. Most of the Sisters’ compound was underground, giving it a bunker-like feel.

  “I doubt Gan would place your sword in the vault at Home,” Anna said as she walked in and looked over Sepia’s shoulder. “He would hide it somewhere with the Gray, not the Order.”

  “He likes to do what people don’t suspect of him,” Sepia said. “Besides I’m just doing some research.”

  “In that case I have something that may help your ‘research’,” Anna said.

  “It’s not training Jas through the gauntlet, is it?”

  Anna shook her head. “No, that will have to wait.”

  Sepia looked at Anna’s face. “Something’s wrong,” she said. “Did Marks—?”

  Anna waved her question away.

  “I need to send you on a mission,” Anna interrupted. “I don’t think anyone else here has the particular skillset required for this one.”

  “You mean being a Hunter,” Sepia replied.

  “Ex-Hunter,” Anna said. “So you’ll be going in alone, but with a support team for extraction.”

  “That fills me with confidence,” Sepia said. “Where?”

  “I need to locate the source of the rift in the park,” Anna said. “The source of the Unholy and their power.”

  Sepia looked at her in silence for a few seconds.

  “The rift? That’s a suicide mission, especially without my sword,” Sepia said and went back to her maps. “No one has been able to pinpoint the rift much less test if that theory is sound.”

  “The theory is sound,” Anna said, “but we need the exact location.”

  “And then what?” Sepia asked. “It’ll be impossible to gain access to it. Some even say it shifts around. No one knows for sure.”

  “That is what I need you to determine,” Anna said. “Is it fixed in one location or does it shift?”

  “Those who tried to find it didn’t come back to tell anyone if they did,” Sepia said. “And you want me to go alone, without my weapon?”

  “I’m aware of the attempts to locate it,” Anna replied. “Many of those who never returned were Sisters.”

  Sepia raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t know they sent Sisters on missions like that.”

  “Of course,” Anna said. “To the Order, we are expendable. The Sisters take on the most dangerous missions. Missions they would never give to Hunters.”

  “But in the park?”

  “Especially in the park,” Anna said, her voice hard. “Don’t delude yourself. The Sisters are convenient as fodder to the Order. If we are not useful then we are a threat, one that will need to be eliminated.”

  “And you want to find the rift for…?”

  “To eliminate the Unholy,” Anna said. “Or at least send them back where they came from.”

  “Send them back,” Sepia said. “And if they don’t want to go back?”

  “Then we persuade them,” Anna answered. “If the Unholy are gone, there is no need for the Order, Hunters, or Sisters. We could be free to live as we see fit.”

  “Somehow I don’t think it’ll be that easy,” Sepia said.

  “It never is,” Anna replied. “Meet me in the conference room. I’ll gather your extraction team.”

  Sepia found the conference room after a few wrong turns. The Sister’s compound was larger than she imagined. Anna and two other Sisters were waiting for her when she entered. Both of the Sisters looked at Sepia with mild curiosity as she settled in the remaining chair at the table.

  “Sepia, this is your extraction team,” Anna said. “This is Bernice and Wake.”

  Both women wore the Sisters’ black sleeveless suits Sepia recognized. Bernice had her white-blond hair tied in a braid and she crossed her muscular arms as she returned Sepia’s gaze. Wake, who was smaller and darker than Bernice, sat in her chair cross-legged and twirled a knife on her finger. She greeted Sepia with a smile.

  Sepia looked around the room.

  “Where’s the rest of the team?” she asked.

  “This is it,” Anna said. “If something goes wrong, they’ll get you out.”

  “It’s just the three of us?” Sepia asked. “Going into the park against the Unholy?”

  “Not the three of us—just you,” Bernice said. “We’re here to get you out if something goes wrong or you screw up. Whichever comes first.”

  “No offense, but do they even have field experience?” Sepia asked. “This is the park we are going into.”

  “Experience is not an issue,” Anna said. “Both of them have been out in the field longer than you and in the park several times.”

  “This is insane,” Sepia said mostly to herself. “How are we getting in?”

  “The Gray did us a favor and loaned us a ride in,” Anna said. “You leave in an hour. Are you clear on your objective?”

  “I’m just going in to locate the rift, not engage the Unholy,” Sepia answered. “Basically scout and report, to see if the rift moves or is fixed.”

  “Exactly,” Anna replied as she opened a map on the conference table. She pointed to a location on the map. “There is a large structure here—a Keep. Are you familiar with it?”

  Sepia nodded. “Yes, I know it.”

  “Good, that will be your LZ and also where Bernice and Wake will set up their base.”

  “Can’t we just do aerial recon on this?” Sepia asked. “Save ourselves the trip into the park?”

  “EMP from the park disrupts any kind of flyover,” Bernice said as Wake nodded. Bernice turned to Anna.

  “Are you sure she’s as good as you say she is? Every trainee knows that.”

  “She’s the only one who can do this part of the mission and have a chance at leaving the park intact,” Anna said. “A flyover is not a viable option for what we need, Sepia. You will have to visually verify.”

  “Understood,” Sepia answered. “Do I get weapons or is this another exercise in relieving me of my ‘crutch’?”

  Anna reached down and slid a small case across the table. Sepia opened it to find her guns and holsters resting inside along with an assortment of knives, including the warded knife Hep had given her.

  “The guns are outfitted with explosive rounds and the blades are titanium,” Anna said. “That one blade—”

  “Hep made that for me, thanks for including it.”

  “I thought I recognized the ward work,” Anna said. “In any case, I hope you don’t need to use them. Once you have the information, head to the Keep and they will extract you.”

  “I could just make my way to the tunnels,” Sepia began.

  “You’re part of a team and will stick to the plan,” Anna said with an edge in her voice. “Once you have the information, you will head to the Keep for extraction. Understood?”

  Sepia nodded. “Got it, find location of the rift and back to the Keep,” Sepia said. “Should be easy, like a walk in the—”

  “Don’t,” Anna said. “The copter will touch down in” —she looked down at her watch—“thirty minutes. Oh and this is for you.” She handed Sepia another case, this one smaller than the last. Sepia opened it and saw a black sleeveless bodysuit inside.

  “It’s only fitting you risk your life dressed as a Sister and not a trainee,” Anna said. “Go get ready.”

  Anna looked up as Shanti entered the conference room.

  “Do you think it’s wise, sending her into the park?” Shanti asked. “Considering the rumors?”

  “That she may be half-Nightmare?”

  “No one has been able to explain that eye of hers,” Shanti replied. “If it turns out to be true—”

  “Then she’s the perfect candidate to find the exact location of the rift,” Anna answered. “If not, then she’ll distract Overseer Marks with her presence in the park while I prepare a response.”

  “I don’t think it’s wise to put her welfare at risk in this way,” Shanti said. “It may have…unintended
consequences.”

  “The welfare of the Sisters as a whole is my only concern and I’ll employ whatever means necessary to safeguard them,” Anna said and got up to leave the conference room. “Even if it means sacrificing her.”

  *******

  Sepia headed back to her room to get dressed. She found Jas still under the covers.

  “You plan on sulking all day?” she asked. “Get up and do some training.”

  No answer. Sepia shrugged.

  I don’t have time for pouting or tantrums.

  She changed and adjusted the holsters and thigh sheaths.

  All that’s missing is my sword.

  She headed to the door. “Hey,” she said to Jas, “when I get back we need to discuss your attitude.”

  Still no answer.

  She left the room and headed to the roof of the building, where the helicopter sat. It resembled a bird of prey about to attack. She recognized it as the same modified UH-60 Black Hawk she used to enter the park once before. She looked closely and could see the wards Hep had added after the last trip into the park. She ran her fingers over the wards and traced their designs.

  “Supposed to keep us in the air longer without the EMP frying the bird,” a voice said behind her. “At least that’s what I’ve been told.”

  Sepia turned around to look into the chest of the pilot. He looked down at her and smiled. His barrel-chest obscured the rest of the roof behind him. His face was covered in a beard several days old, adding to his grizzled appearance.

  “Bear,” she said with a smile. “You’re still alive. You must be the luckiest person on the planet.”

  “I could say the same thing about you, Hunt—guess you aren’t a Hunter anymore,” he said. “What do I call you?”

  “Sepia works just fine.”

  He nodded. “Sepia it is,” he said. “I thought you were done when I saw you last. Heard that was a nasty op.”

  Sepia remained silent a moment, then nodded.

  “Yeah, it got me a permanent vacation from the Hunters and now I get to go back in the park.”

  “Where is the rest of your team?”

  “Right here,” Bernice said from behind the pilot. “You ready to go?”

  “Just waiting for my co-pilot and then we’re in the air,” Bear said. “There he is now.”