by Jeff Gunhus
“Are you saying what I think you are?” the Colonel asked.
“Let me join the Black Death,” I said. “Let me fight for you, Colonel, and we won’t just kill Ren Lucre and his army, but we will kill every Creach, no matter where they are hiding.” I looked at Master Aquinas who stared back at me with equal parts anger and sadness. “I’m sorry Master Aquinas, but they’re right. The only good Creach is a dead one. And I intend to kill them all.”
10
I thought I could hold Master Aquinas’s gaze, but I didn’t expect to see tears welling up in her eyes. That was more than I could bear, so I had to look away. Instead, I sought out the Colonel who was walking toward me, squinting as if trying to determine whether he believed me or not.
“Just like that?” the Colonel said. “You want to join us?”
“When I stole the Jerusalem Stone from Shaitan, Lord of the Demons, the El Canto monks didn’t mind me joining them. We fought side by side against the hordes of the Underworld, and I plucked the Stone from inside Shaitan’s eye…” I stole a glance at Ritgo who had earlier doubted I’d been to the Underworld at all. “He told me something interesting. He said I was the pawn in a game I didn’t even know I was playing. But now I can see it clearly. I’ve been a pawn since the beginning.”
As I said this, I forced myself to look back at Master Aquinas. I reached inside for the feelings of betrayal and anger about how she’d first used me as bait for Ren Lucre and then later kept the truth about my father, still being alive, from me. There was nothing fake about the bitterness in my voice.
“You had me chasing down the Stones because you said I was the One, the last Templar who could finally bring peace. But I don’t believe that anymore. Not after the sacrifices my friends have been forced to make. Not after I’ve seen how your weakness led to so many young hunters dying at the Academy. More of them dead and injured at the villa in Spain.”
“How can you say these things?” Master Aquinas said. “What’s happened to you?”
Michael put a finger to his lips. “Shhh…” he said. “The time for you speak has passed. Let the boy have his say.”
I slammed my hand on the table. “Call me boy again and I’ll show you what the power of the Jerusalem Stones and the Templar Ring looks like,” I snarled.
Michael took a step backward, clearly shaken by my threat.
“That goes for all of you,” I said, pointing first to Ritgo and then to Kahn. Ariel had been polite to me since I walked in, so I skipped over her. “Do not mistake me. I’m not a boy. And I’m not a pawn in anyone’s game. My name is Jack Templar and I’m a monster hunter.” I turned to the Colonel and lowered my voice slightly and bowed my head a few inches to show deference. “I’m only asking you to let me do what I was born to do.”
There was a long pause, and I realized I was holding my breath. I slowly released it, hoping no one else would notice. I was counting on them seeing me as confident and certain of myself. In reality, my legs were shaking so hard I thought I might collapse at any second.
The Colonel eyed me up and down, rubbing his scarred chin with one hand.
“And you will hand over the Stones if I ask you to?” he said.
“I’d rather keep them,” I said. “I don’t even know if they would work for anyone else or not. But if you ask for them, they are yours.”
The Colonel held out his hand. I instinctively closed my hand around the Stones.
“Hand them over,” he said.
“Jack, don’t,” Master Aquinas said. “This isn’t who you are.”
“How would you know?” I snapped at her. “You obviously thought you knew my father too, and look how that turned out. A traitor to his own kind.”
A small sound escaped Ariel. A little gasp. She cut it off with a hand to her mouth. I wondered what emotion she was trying to disguise. No one else seemed to care.
The Colonel took a step closer, his hand out. I reached across and emptied my hand into his. The Colonel grinned as he looked at his three prizes. Master Aquinas stood up from her chair.
“Michael, will you escort me to my quarters?” she said stiffly. “I suddenly find myself in need of some fresh air. There’s a stench in this room that I can’t quite stand.”
Michael looked to the Colonel who gave him a nearly imperceptible nod. The tall man walked around the table, oddly seeming to float instead of walk, but I gathered it was just an illusion as I saw his feet firmly on the ground. He offered his arm, and Master Aquinas took it as if gathering as much of her dignity as possible.
I felt terrible as she turned her back on me.
“I’m sorry,” I called.
“No,” she said as she walked toward the door. “I don’t think you are.”
All of us remained quiet as Michael and Master Aquinas slowly crossed the length of the room and exited through the door.
“Getting the two of them to be quiet,” Kahn said. “Now that just proves the boy’s…I mean, the young man’s abilities.”
The Colonel held up his hand.
“How do I harness their power?” he asked.
I looked around at Ritgo, Ariel, and Kahn, and then leaned in so that only the Colonel could hear me. “I’d prefer to only tell you,” I said. “I don’t like the way they look at the Stones, do you?” The Colonel slid a glance at the others. “It’s like they want the Stones for themselves. Don’t you see it in their eyes?”
“Yes…” the Colonel said, holding his hand close to his chest. “They want to take them from me.”
“Maybe it’s best if we talk alone for a while,” I suggested.
The Colonel nodded, his eyes darting wildly at the others. “Yes, I think you’re right.” He pulled away from me, sliding his hand into his pocket. “Jack has made a good point. Master Aquinas is important to our cause. It’s a bridge we don’t want to burn as, rightly or wrongly, she commands so much respect throughout the Black Guard.”
“I don’t think––” Kahn started, falling silent when the Colonel held up his hand.
“I want you to remain here and create a plan for a full assault on Ren Lucre’s fortress using all of our available assets.”
“That’s more like it,” Ritgo said, clapping his massive hands together and rubbing them like someone about to eat his favorite dinner.
“You want us to remain here?” Ariel said. “Where are you going?”
“We’re going to calm things down with Aquinas. Besides, young Jack and I need to get acquainted,” the Colonel said. “If he’s going to be on our team, I want to be sure he knows what he’s getting himself into.”
This seemed to settle it with Kahn and Ritgo, but I noticed Ariel staring at me with a confused look. She didn’t say anything, but I could tell she was fighting the urge. I didn’t know what it could be, but I didn’t want to wait around to find out.
“I look forward to hearing the assault plan,” I said. “I can speak for my group. They’ll all join the attack.”
“We won’t need any kids helping,” Ritgo said.
I wanted to snap back at him, but the Colonel grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the door. “Come, let’s leave them to their work.”
As we walked to the door, I glanced backward. Ritgo and Kahn were on their feet, pointing at the giant wall map. But Ariel remained by her seat, watching me leave. I felt a wave of fear pass through me when she gave me a smile and a nod of her head. She knew my secret; I was sure of it. But she let me leave without saying a word, leaving me to wonder why.
I didn’t have time to think any more about it. The Colonel held the door open for me as I walked through. Once I was back in the busy communications room, I heard him whisper to the guard standing post, “Lock this door. Those three don’t leave, no matter what they say. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir,” the guard snapped, trying to hide his confusion at the order.
The Colonel nodded toward the door on the far side of the room. “Come, let’s get somewhere we won’t be disturbed
.”
“We’re not going to see Master Aquinas?” I asked, wondering how far he intended to take the cover story he’d told the others.
“She’s already served her purpose, connecting me with the small groups of hunters that are willing to fight. Michael knows what to do. He will help her find a secure place behind a locked door.”
“You can’t lock up Master Aquinas,” I said, following him through the room of radio operators. “The others will never stand for it.”
The Colonel shrugged it off. “We’ll tell people she took ill. And you can tell people what they need to hear. That Aquinas supports our cause. That she’s seen that there can be no peace with the Creach. She’s a figurehead, nothing more. But with you here, we won’t need her.”
I realized the Colonel had already thought this through. He knew people would believe what I told them. They trusted me. And he was ready to betray that trust in a heartbeat if that meant getting what he wanted. I slowed as we reached the stairs, showing what I hoped was just the right amount of reluctance at the suggestion.
“I don’t feel right doing that,” I said. “Isn’t it enough that I speak for myself? That I speak the truth?”
The Colonel stopped at the top of the stairs. “You’re reluctant to lie to your followers. I respect that. But this is war, Jack. Sometimes a small lie can save hundreds of lives.”
“And how about a big lie?”
“It can mean the difference between winning and losing the war.”
I nodded. The Colonel didn’t realize it, but that was exactly what I was counting on.
11
When we walked outside, a stiff, freezing wind greeted us. I pulled my jacket collar up, but the wind stung my exposed face. Being inside the warm castle for the past hour had made me forget just how desolate a place we were in. Nature did her best to remind me as wind screamed through the valley, carrying tiny bits of ice with it that felt like shards of glass.
I turned and looked at the stone keep looming above me. A strong enough wind could scrape it off its perch and send it tumbling into the chasm below. I felt the Templar Ring grow warm on my finger, and I quickly blocked the image from my mind. I didn’t think I could control the wind or make something as massive as the castle move, but I wasn’t about to take any chances. I’d never been around three Jerusalem Stones at once, so I had no idea if their powers had a limit.
“Where are my friends?” I asked. “I’d like to see them.”
The Colonel didn’t acknowledge me. He strode through the yard, ignoring the salutes of his men as we passed. I noticed his right hand was dug into the pocket where he’d stashed the Stones. Among the older hunters were plenty of faces I knew from back at the Academy. All the hunters wore the uniforms of the Black Death.
“Colonel,” I said louder. “You want my help? You want me to show you how the Jerusalem Stones work? Then take me to see my friends.”
The Colonel whipped around, his face screwed up into a snarl. He closed the space between us and got right in front of me. “Don’t ever threaten me, boy. You won’t like how I respond.”
I swallowed hard but managed to hold my ground. “I just want assurances that they are alright. I can convince them to get on board.”
“The two Creach are a problem,” he said, taking a step back.
“No, they are the opportunity,” I said, fighting down the worry that Daniel and Eva might already be in real trouble. “What better way to infiltrate Ren Lucre’s army than with Creach of our own?”
The Colonel stepped back and thought, the cutting wind seeming to have no effect on him. He waved his hand forward and Lucas, the hunter who’d started the fight with us when we first arrived, hurried up to him. The guy was good. I hadn’t even noticed him following us.
“Are our visitors resting comfortably?” the Colonel asked.
Lucas cast a sidelong glance at me as he answered. “Yes, sir.”
“Take me to them,” I said.
Lucas looked up at the Colonel, who nodded. “Take him and then bring him back to me. I have a few things to attend to.” He leaned in toward me. “And then you and I will have some time alone for you to teach me what you know.”
“That’s the deal,” I said, noticing the way he still clutched his jacket pocket. “I can’t guarantee they will work for you like they have for me, but I’ll do my best.”
The Colonel sniffed the air. “I will learn to use them,” he said. “I’m confident of that.” With that he turned and strode away, barking orders at the men around him as he went.
I looked up at Lucas. “Looks like you’re my tour guide.”
“Follow me. It’s not too far,” he said with a grin that was far more menacing than I’d expected. I thought he’d feel a little embarrassed in our new roles, but there was no sense of that at all. It made me nervous.
Neither of us spoke as we walked around the outer edge of the castle, hugging close to it to get relief from the freezing wind. I took the opportunity to take stock of where Lucas carried his weapons. Two guns, one on a holster on his hip, cowboy style, and another in a shoulder holster. At least I could see the strap of the shoulder holster, so I assumed it held a gun. I figured it was a safe bet. It certainly wasn’t holding a sandwich.
Last, there was a knife strapped on the side of his left boot. This told me he was likely left-handed, something important to know in predicting how the first blow would come if we fought. And, for some reason, I thought there was a good chance that was going to happen at some point.
We were close to the far end of the castle, the part that ran right up to the edge of the chasm. I walked with a wide stance, worried that a sudden gust of wind might throw me off balance and send me cartwheeling over the edge. It was thousands of feet straight down, and even though flying with the Il Canto monk had been fun, I had no intention of trying to do it on my own.
Lucas came to a large metal door set into the side of the castle. He produced a key from a jacket pocket, twisted it into the key slot, and heaved open the door. He motioned for me to go inside first. I was more than ready to get out of the cold, so I didn’t need to be asked twice.
There was a small landing area on the other side of the door. Then the floor slanted away at a steep angle, narrowing into a hallway that looked more like a tunnel bored into the mountain. Lucas followed me in and slammed the door shut.
“Down there,” he said, pointing.
“Why are they down here?” I asked.
“It’s where we put up all the best people,” Lucas said. “Doesn’t look like much, but it’s the safest place here. Come on, let’s move it.”
I noticed his hand move over to the gun on his hip. Whether this was just habit or his attempt to intimidate me in some way, I didn’t know. Either way, I was eager to see my friends and make sure they were all right, so I walked down the path.
Naked light bulbs were strung on a wire along the way, so the light wasn’t bad. The tunnel curved around and around in a circle so it was hard to tell how far it went down. It was damp and cold. “Is this the dungeon?” I asked.
“Nah,” Lucas said. “That wouldn’t be very hospitable, would it?”
But when we made the final turn, it was clear he was a liar.
The walkway opened up into a large cavern, the ceiling nearly two stories tall. Iron cages were lined up in neat rows, most of them empty. At the far end of the cavern was a giant open hole in the rock wall that gave a spectacular view of the mountains across the chasm. This hole provided natural light but it also allowed the cold in. My breath turned to white clouds each time I exhaled.
“What is this place?” I asked.
“Like I said, this is where we keep our favorite visitors,” Lucas said. “But it’s also the last chance of escape in case we’re overrun.” He pointed at the opening.
“How?”
Lucas nodded to a room behind him. Inside were stacks of black backpacks. I didn’t get it at first, but I slowly figured out what I was looki
ng at.
“Are those parachutes?” I asked.
“Something like that,” he said. “It’s how we get out of here if we’re found out. You didn’t think the Colonel would back us into a corner without an escape route, did you?”
Truth was, I had wondered about that. Hundreds of people jumping off the cliff and parachuting into the chasm had never entered my mind as a way to escape. I guessed that was the point. An enemy would be hard-pressed to imagine that option.
“Where are my friends?” I demanded.
“Down there,” he said, nodding toward the gaping hole. “Wanted to give them a room with the best view.”
12
I walked down the length of the cavern, passing empty cages, noticing with a shiver that many of them held skeletons of different types of Creach, their bare bones still chained as if they might rise up from the dead at any minute.
“Jack! Down here!” I heard Will shout.
I jogged the final stretch, both to make sure my friends were all right but also to put some distance between myself and Lucas.
I reached the far cages and did a quick headcount. They were all there. Xavier, T-Rex, and Will were each in their own small cages. Daniel and Eva were locked up together. The two of them looked mad enough to spit fire.
“Is everyone okay?” I asked, worried that at least one of them would have resisted being locked up.
“They grabbed T-Rex,” Will said. “Held a gun to his head to get the rest of us in here. A gun. And we’re supposed to be the good guys.”
“Where’s Master Aquinas?” Eva demanded. “Why isn’t she here to get us out?”
“She’s not available right now,” Lucas said with a grin, clearly enjoying himself. “I’m afraid she won’t be available for quite some time.”
Daniel tore his eyes away from Lucas and looked at me. “Is she all right? What’s going on? Where have you been anyway?”
“They told me you were all being taken care of,” I said.