Soullord (Soulguard Book 2)

Home > Other > Soullord (Soulguard Book 2) > Page 18
Soullord (Soulguard Book 2) Page 18

by Christopher Woods


  Another was right behind that one and I threw the right hand sword through its head. Weaponless, screaming in fury, I dove into the midst of that horde and ripped Kresh apart with my bare hands.

  Then there were no more and I stood there in the midst of the carnage pushing the monster back down into its cage.

  "That definitely got their attention, Colin," Lyrica said over the com. "Looks like your plan is gonna work. They're heading toward you from everywhere."

  "Is the area clear?"

  "The folks with you are the only ones left."

  "Guards pull back," I ordered, "Mages to the front. I'm going north on Amsterdam. When you get inside the 'kill box' unload everything. Buildings can be repaired. No more innocents die today."

  "We'll be closing from the north," A familiar voice sounded on the com.

  "Hi Sam, how the hell are ya?"

  "Better than I was. There are five Mages in the north and we'll follow suit."

  "Good man," I said. "They should be concentrated between 145th and 149th soon. We're gonna try to contain ‘em between Broadway and St. Nicholas avenue."

  "I'm goin’ out on a limb here and guess you used yourself as bait?"

  "Seems to have worked," I said.

  "Seems so, we're inbound."

  "Copy."

  I turned to Simms, "Once I head up this street, I want you guys moving South. I want you down past 138th. You shouldn't have much trouble. They'll be coming after me with a vengeance."

  I looked at the others, "All of you."

  I saw them nodding. They weren't about to argue after seeing what I had just done.

  "Yes, Sir," he said, "we'll move out immediately."

  I turned and began walking, calmly up the street. I could see the darkness of the Demon presence closing from the North, East, and West. In an instant someone was walking beside me. I didn't even have to look to see who it was. I could feel her with my mind.

  Her hand brushed against mine and I reached out to clasp it in my own hand. We walked together, hand in hand, straight into the horde of Kresh pouring down the Avenue toward us.

  Together we Pulled and we kept walking, as everything around us was reduced to Rubble and ash. I've Pulled through another's Stream but this was something different. Our streams had intertwined and become some sort of twisted cable of power. I can feel the Source at the other end of my Stream, and I can feel how much power I Pull when I do. But it seemed there was so much more power available than I had ever felt before. I think, maybe, two Soullords, together can Pull like tenfold what they could Pull alone.

  There was so much power flowing through our Streams, we had to release from within several times so the power didn't build too high in our bodies. That amount of power was like a high from a drug, and we were lost inside our meld for a while.

  I heard a familiar sound as we neared the intersection of 147th.

  "Hold up a sec," I said and we stopped Pulling for a moment as explosions rocked the block from down 147th street. Then a screaming Banshee swept past us leaving nothing but ash in his wake.

  "Kevin?" Lyrica looked surprised and I realized that she had never really seen him in action before.

  "The Kid," I said "Something to see in action wouldn't you say?"

  She smiled and motioned forward up the street at the Horde of Demons pouring down Amsterdam, "Shall we?"

  "Oh, we shall," I said and we strode onward with discs firing in every direction.

  Chapter 39

  "There's a place for you in the Soulguard if you're interested," I said.

  Khalib looked toward the tent that had been set up for the excess of injured people. Lyrica was busy inside, and I could see the Soul of the young woman who had been with Khalib when I had found him.

  "Transportation is provided," I said, "to you and your family."

  The word "family" struck a chord in the big man. I could see the longing in his Soul. I sensed he was a solitary person, and may not have known a family at all. He stared at the tent for a few moments and nodded to me. He turned and headed toward the tent.

  I walked toward the command tent where Gasper ,and the Mayor of New York hovered over the map I had seen Gasper using the first time I was inside the tent. The Mayor looked up as I approached.

  "I understand you're the man who just destroyed a rather large chunk of my city?"

  "That would be true," I said, "though I didn't really have much choice in the matter."

  "Yes, I heard the command when you gave it. 'Buildings can be repaired' I think it was."

  "No more innocents die today," I added, "That's the most important part of that quote."

  "Right you are," he said, "We owe you and your Soulguard a debt."

  "We're just doing our jobs," I said, "the best way we can."

  "Mister Rourke," Gasper said, "it looks like all of the portals are shut down. Will you be staying here for any length of time?"

  "Doubtful," I answered. "What they sent here is a drop in the bucket to what can come through the Great Gate in Kansas. I'll be heading back there soon. It appears the wait may be at an end. They'll hit there again sooner or later. I pulled in another hundred and fifty Guards to help get things here back in order, but they may be pulled at any time if another city is hit. NG's will be the ones doing most of the cleanup after our mess, it seems."

  "The new National Guard handled itself pretty well today," Gasper said. "Some thought it was a mistake to put so much into them but I think they'll work out fine."

  "Nothing wrong with those boys," I said, "and I have the utmost faith in them. I've worked with quite a few, back in Kansas, and they have as much dedication to protecting this country as anyone I've ever met. Thanks to the new structure of the National Guard, they're receiving the same training as any other branch of the Military."

  "I just wish we had some way of knowing when and where the bastards will hit us," he said.

  "I know," I said, "but so far, all we've had to go on is best guess. This hit wasn't what I was expecting, but you can't expect the enemy to do what you want, I guess."

  "That's why they're called the enemy."

  "True," I agreed and nodded to the Mayor, "It was good to meet you, although, I wish it had been under better circumstances."

  "We're glad your people were here, Mister Rourke. Without your Soulguard this would have been much worse."

  I turned and walked out of the tent to find Rictor waiting for me. He motioned toward the tent where Lyrica was healing injured.

  "How long we gonna stay and let her do her thing?" he asked, "She could be here a damn year, and never heal all the people in this city that need it."

  "I think we can give her a few days, at the least."

  "You know, a couple of us are goin’ down into Manhattan for some food at one of the restaurants in a few hours. They're tired and a few are injured. You know, the ones who weren't out holdin’ hands, and havin’ a romantic stroll through the city."

  "I don't know what you're talking about."

  "Yeah," he said with a smile, "Didn't think you would. You and the other one who probably doesn't know what I'm talkin about want to join us?"

  "I'd say, most likely a yes to that."

  "Good."

  He turned and headed toward the rest of my Company. I had a feeling I would hear about that little stroll for a while. I can't ever do anything and have the good luck that they would forget it.

  ***

  I watched the various Guards as they boarded the plane. I saw several people look my direction as they too approached the airstrip.

  I recognized several gang members who had stood at my back in that little altercation on Amsterdam. The one who the others seemed to be looking to for guidance approached me.

  "Yo Mistah Rourke," he said with a nod of his head, "What I got to do to join yo Soulguard?"

  I was watching the man's aura and he was completely sincere. I think he expected me to say he couldn't join.

  "What's your name?"
/>
  "C-Train."

  "Your real name-" I said with a touch more force than I really intended, "-you join my Guard, you leave all this behind. There are no more rival gangs. No more preying on another human. You've seen what we fight. You have to be willing to fight that fight for total strangers or the man who was your most hated enemy yesterday. This is the dedication I require from my soldiers. If you can accept this, you're welcome to join."

  "Mah name is Cordell Fortrain. I'll swear to yo oath. Dis be much biggah than any gang."

  I pointed toward the plane, "Board the plane, Cordell. I'll see you in Kansas."

  "Yes, Sir."

  I looked to the men who had followed him, "Same goes for all of you. I'll hold you to the oath and I'll deal harshly with anyone who breaks it."

  There were nods all around and they all headed toward the plane. I shook my head in wonder as they made their way to the line of men and women boarding the plane.

  "That was unexpected," I muttered.

  I looked to my left and saw Mr. Khalib and his small group standing there looking at the plane. He said something and turned to walk toward the plane.

  The boy who was always staring at him stood beside Dreanna. There was utter despair rolling through his aura.

  Khalib stopped about twenty feet away and looked back.

  "You coming?"

  I felt a lump in my throat as the little boy was off like a rocket. He had started running before Khalib had even finished his question. There was a small smile on Dreanna's face as she followed at a slower rate.

  Khalib reached down and caught the boy as he ran right into his arm. He lifted the child up, and I saw the complex emotions rolling through his aura. He was amazed and a little bit dazed. I think he was feeling things he had never had the opportunity to feel before.

  He turned and walked toward the plane with the boy in his arms. Two boys and a girl followed in a row, and the beautiful black woman with another child in her arms bringing up the rear.

  That lump in my throat is why I can place myself in between them and the enemy. There are so many people who are deserving of a life that doesn't include the Kresh and their evil plans. People who crave a family, need that someone who completes them. I want to give them a world where they can have that. If I could figure out how to stop what was coming I would do it. I would do it in a heartbeat.

  As it stood, I intended to stop the bastards, but as they had shown us here in New York, it was going to be bloody. There were millions of people in the cities in just the US. If they had chosen to hit all over the world at the same time, the death toll would be unimaginable. This is the dread that I live with. They'll stop trying to focus on us and come out everywhere.

  The only thing I can think of is to make sure they know I am in Kansas. They hate me so much, it may cause them to come at me, even if it makes no sense. It's, maybe, not the brightest plan but it’s the only thing I can think of to do. I have to be the bait that keeps them coming somewhere we are, at least partially, prepared for them.

  Chapter 40

  "Have you seen their criminal records?" Paige asked, "This one is suspected in the murders of over thirty people."

  "Yet they stood between innocent people and held their ground. Soldiers aren't saints, Paige."

  "I've killed over forty people, Paige. I'm a killer. I'm still here. I told them to come here and join me. I told them what it would cost them and I saw their Souls. They'll make better Guards than you think. We recruit soldiers from war zones. New York was a war zone, and these men proved their metal to me. That's enough for me."

  She looked at me for a long moment. I could see in her aura that she didn't agree. But I saw her accept that I wasn't giving an inch on the subject.

  "They're in," she said, "But if this blows up on us, it's on you."

  "If they don't follow the oath I'll remove them personally."

  I'm not sure Paige would ever understand my reasoning in bringing back my motley crew of gang members to Kansas. She hadn't seen those same men stand with me as the horde of Demons came crashing down the street. They stood their ground, even when they had no idea what I could do out in the street in front of them. When all they saw was one insane man standing in the street with a pair of swords--that took courage.

  A large part of their previous gang life was based on loyalty to their respective gangs. That, in its own way is a code of conduct, a source of honor. I would give them the opportunity to show that honor I had seen in those men to the world.

  I also knew who she said was suspected in the murders of thirty men. Khalib. I had done some research after returning to Kansas. There had been a gang in Harlem called the Bone Dogs.

  It was suspected that they crossed paths with Khalib at some point. Over a three year span, thirty Bone Dogs were found in various places around a certain area in Harlem. The Bone Dogs no longer existed long before the Demon attack of New York. Mr. Khalib was suspected of their destruction.

  I had seen the raw fear in several men back in that street when they were told that the man they were looking at was Mister Khalib. I believed the suspicions about Khalib were right. But I was sure that there was a story behind that as well, and I intended to get that story before anything else. I was pretty sure Dreanna Whitaker would probably be able to shed some light on the subject,and I would ask her at my earliest opportunity.

  "There are so many ways this whole thing could go sideways, Colin," Paige said. "I hope you're right, but I can't help it if I have misgivings about it."

  "To be totally honest, Paige, we need everyone we can get in this. Someday, they'll really cut loose on us, and it's gonna make what's already happened look like a walk in the park."

  "Somehow, I get that same feeling," she said.

  ***

  I watched the dark Soul of one of my remaining Shak'Tar as she walked toward my office. It unnerves people sometimes when they find that I can see through solid objects when looking at the power flows of the world. I'd known I could do this for years. The Shak'Tar didn't seem to be phased by much. I guess they had seen so much in their lives, most of which would boggle the minds of someone on my planet that had never been exposed to the same type of surroundings.

  Pelin opened the door and stepped inside, "I have news from Touran Gorvelis, Master."

  "You don't have to call me master, Pelin," I said, "Colin will do."

  She nodded. They were still getting used to the new order of things. I wondered if they had second thoughts about changing sides in this war. I'm not sure if they had a choice with my Mark on them.

  "A new leader has come forward to take over the handling of this world. He is called Kin'Sol'Ramas. He is also called Yas'Fari, 'The Butcher'. His mind is strong and you will not be able to Mark his followers as you did against Sol'Kor'Vannas."

  "Just as well," I said, "I won't be using that particular skill any more. It's too much like slavery. I can't do that."

  "But it is the way it is done, Mas...Colin. Without the Mark, we have no direction."

  "It's called freedom, Pelin. One day, I hope to show all of you what freedom truly is. The ability to choose your own way, your own fate, your own future."

  "You are an odd being, Colin Rourke," she said, "Yet I find it easier to mold myself toward your Mark than it was to mold to the Mark of Sol'Kor'Vannas."

  "Will the majority of the Shak'Tar feel the same way, do you think?"

  "Some will find it more difficult, some will find it much easier. Some of us found it easy to be the hands of our former Master. Some of us found it difficult. We were left with not many choices."

  "There is evil in all of us, Pelin. The true test is keeping the evil at bay and do what is right. I keep a dark monster caged in here."

  I pointed at my head, "I can't let it out except when I am in battle. I'm afraid of what it will do. It's my evil and I fight it every moment."

  "You must let it be a part of you, Master," she said with a startled look on her face, "if not it may
consume you. Insanity lies there. We've all seen it."

  I'd heard Gorvelis say the same thing. But I don't really understand what they are talking about. It is part of me. I know this but I can't let it control what I do, I have to control it.

  As I was pondering her words something occurred to me. Her Soulstream, like any human, led around her and into the ground. Down into the Source. How was that possible? She was from another world, it should have led to a portal and into her own world.

  How had I not seen this before? I guess I can't think of everything at once. It was the same for Gorvelis and the rest of the Shak'Tar. I hadn't really noticed before. Maybe because I saw human Soulstreams all the time.

  Why did the Demon streams have to flow through a portal and the human streams didn't? Their Source must just be on the one world, and the Source of human life is on all of them. That's something that needs to be explored at some point.

  "All I can do is the best I can about the evil in me," I said.

  "That is all any of us can do Mas...Colin," she said with a slight bow of her head. She turned and exited my office.

  Chapter 41

  "I've got some questions, Dreanna," I said. "I hope you can help me with them."

  "I'll try my best, Mr. Rourke."

  I could see no fear in the young woman as she faced me. She had witnessed what I was capable of and still had no fear of me. That was a rare thing for me.

  She spoke clearly, unlike so many of the people who were raised in the area she had grown up in. So many of the black men I had met in New York spoke their own dialect. She had a northern accent but none of the local dialect in her speech.

  "It's about Mr. Khalib."

  "You've looked at his past, I take it?"

  I chuckled, "I've seen some speculation about his past. I'm not interested in whether he committed thirty murders. I'm interested in why."

  She looked at me in surprise.

 

‹ Prev