Armageddon's Son (HYBRID: The Ethereal War Book 1)

by Greg Ballan

  The detective knelt down beside the raving cleric. "Peter!" Erik whispered. "I'm going to join you, don't panic. I'll protect you."

  Erik reached for the terrified man's temple. Denton grabbed his hand.

  "Erik, what are you doing?"

  "We need to see what he's witnessed, Counselor. I'm going to find out just who or what was there by sharing his memory. Somewhere in that traumatized mind dwell the answers to our questions and possibly the identity of your son's killer."

  Denton kept his grip on Erik's hand. "What about the cross? Did you forget what happened with the cross? You almost leveled an entire complex tapping into some negative energy. You go batshit crazy here, you'll kill hundreds. Your warrior alter ego and that portable lighting rod you carry could level the entire city."

  Erik pulled his hand away. "I know. But I'm ready for this now, I can do this Counselor. The more time we bicker the less time we have to get to the bottom of this. We have about seven minutes and the clock is ticking."

  Denton shook his head. "You're sure you've got this?"

  "I'm sure." Erik looked over at Neko. "If I'm wrong, and things turn, yank my hand away and slap me as hard as you can. That should be enough to snap me back into reality."

  The nervous officer nodded as Erik touched Peter's temple.

  There was the odd sensation of reality shifting as the hospital room warped and then completely dissipated into a thin fog. Erik was back in the basement cathedral, only the perspective was different. He was reliving a memory.

  "Run Brother Peter, I'll hold him off! The cardinals must know what's happened here?"

  The hybrid felt the sheer terror and panic, the emotions washed over him, flooding his mind with horrible visions, drawing him into the action. Erik focused his will, pushing the emotions aside constantly reminding himself the events were history and he was reliving them not experiencing them. His conscious mind was able to keep reign over the chaos and panic. Erik watched the nightmare unfold. Peter tried the doors but they were jammed shut. THE VENTS! Brother Peter looked back. His dear friend was being butchered alive. The being turned, its hood partially fell and he could see his face. The being howled in pain as exposed flesh sizzled. It desperately reached up and pulled the hood up concealing the face once again. The dark-robed demon stood and approached Peter. He panicked and ran toward the old vent.

  Peter's eyes briefly fell on his friend. He'd been disemboweled. Blood and organs stained the once pristine marble floor. Erik felt the wave of sympathy as Peter struggled to fit through the small shafts connected to the now unused ventilation chamber. The monk desperately climbed to safety but heard the angry hissing below. The being in black shouted vile threats and curses sending shivers down his spine as he painfully climbed the five stories to safety.

  Erik spoke inside the cleric's mind, You're safe now. You don't have to be afraid.

  Peter's eyes darted from side to side. They're dead. They're all dead! What will I tell the father? No one will believe me.

  Erik radiated calm. They know the truth, Peter. More than you do, I'm afraid. They will believe you. You can't keep punishing yourself by reliving this horror over and over again. Take my hand. Let me take you back. Let me help you escape this nightmare.

  Peter looked up from his curled position in the filthy air duct. You will help me?

  Erik smiled. Yes. I'm here to help you. You have my word.

  Who are you? Peter's brow furrowed.

  My name is Erik Knight. Give me your hand, Peter. It's time for the nightmare to end.

  Erik broke the link. Peter's eyes popped open and he looked around as if seeing his visitors for the first time. The cleric took the detective's hand, muttering apologies as his body shook with grief. Peter wept. A sob of agony and loss saturated the sterile room.

  Erik looked down at the broken monk. The detective's breathing became shallow and he gently placed his hand on Peter's shoulder. The monk tensed. His weeping ceased and his eyes were alight with sudden rapture. "I can feel His presence." Peter touched his chest, "In my heart I can feel His presence again, like being in the chapel!" Peter looked over at Erik. "You kept your word. You have taken away my pain and given me a gift that I can never repay. No one has ever given me so much. Thank you."

  Erik nodded and sat on a nearby chair. The detective was pale. Martin looked over but Erik simply nodded and pointed toward the rejuvenated man. "Peter, are you up for answering a few questions? Mr. Denton here would like a few moments of your time."

  Peter looked up at the elder man. "Denton…. William's Father?" he reached up, extending a shaking hand toward Martin. "Your son was my best friend. He gave his life to save mine. I feel awful about this, sir."

  Denton leaned closer to the now remarkably calm cleric and clasped his outstretched hand. "Please, is there anything more you can tell us about what happened?"

  "I'm sorry, Mr. Denton. I panicked. Everything happened so fast. No one seemed to know about the lower church, and we never asked our mentors about it. We went there because William learned of it from his readings and research. Your son was an amazing scholar. He drank up knowledge like a sponge. I've never seen anything like it. He could read theological texts and interpret the meanings from passages that even had our professors baffled."

  Denton nodded. "He was brilliant." The agent focused back on the issue at hand. "And you have no idea what the man that killed him wanted?"

  "None, sir. Like I said, the first time we snuck down there was after William read about the basement chapel in an old text at the Vatican library. That was about a year ago. We didn't believe what was in the book. One Saturday during our free time we followed the map William had copied into St, Martha's. We found an elevator in the back of the building. William had some kind of device that was able to bypass the code. I have no idea where he got it. I never bothered to ask. We stepped in the elevator went down the five levels."

  Denton shook his head. "How in the hell did he make a cryptograph?" The old man shook his head. 'I'm sorry, please go on."

  "William made many gadgets from odds and ends we brought him. He made a nice radio for Father Bill on his birthday out of old circuit boards we salvaged from some trash." Brother Peter took a deep breath and continued his story.

  "We followed the passage. It was crazy. We seemed to be walking forever. We finally came to the chamber and William picked the door's lock with some tools. He was driven, like he knew the place was there all along. As soon as we stepped in, we all felt it. The presence of God permeated the entire chamber. The peace and tranquility brought us to our knees. We stayed there for hours, praying and meditating on the mysteries of our faith." The young cleric smiled. "We had found a piece of Heaven on Earth, Mr. Denton, and we swore each other to secrecy. Whenever we felt stressed or overwhelmed, we would all sneak away for a few hours, go to the hidden chapel to pray, and feel the presence of God."

  Denton nodded and looked over at Erik. The detective nodded slightly. "Peter, were you aware of anything hidden inside that chamber? Or maybe William told you something about treasure or something of intrinsic value in that underground church? Any rumor or musing he may have shared with you?"

  "No, Mr. Knight, we never felt the need to explore. We would simply kneel in front of the altar and then sit or kneel in the front pew meditating on our faith. William did scour through several other texts for more information on the hidden chamber but he never found anything else. No other text in the library mentioned the chamber and no other map of St. Martha's has the deep basements identified. It was a mystery."

  "Did you or any one of your friends tell anyone else of this discovery? Did anyone else know what Brother Denton discovered?"

  "No, Mr. Knight. William said we should not say anything to anyone. He wanted to read more on the subject. He believed if more people knew, they would want to come and experience the presence of God. We knew it was selfish to keep such a miracle to ourselves but we figured there was a reason those in authority kept th
e chamber a secret. If people started going down in droves, the cardinals would know what we'd discovered. If it was meant to be a secret, we might be in trouble. Worse, they might keep us from returning."

  "You're certain William kept this to himself and never told anyone else, even someone he may have considered a confidant?"

  The brother stared at the floor. "Brother William and I were the closest of friends, and we shared many secrets over the last several years. Believe me when I tell you he told no one else."

  Erik nodded. He could feel the sense of loss welling back up in the young cleric. "I understand. You have no idea who or what attacked your brothers?"

  "No, Mr. Knight, but I assure you it was a servant of the devil himself. Nothing else could be capable of committing such hideous evil in such a holy place."

  Erik nodded as he glanced at the clock. Their time was just about up and it was clear that Brother Peter wouldn't be able to shed any more light on the murders. "Thank you for your time, Brother Peter." Erik gestured toward the clock. "Your caretakers are about to come in and escort us off the premises."

  "Thank you, Mr. Knight," the rejuvenated cleric gestured toward his heart, "for giving me the inner peace I'd found in that chapel."

  The door opened and the two burly men in black stepped in. They were shocked to see Brother Peter lucid and engaged with Erik and Martin. They weren't able to disguise their looks of alarm and concern. It was evident that the only reason they were given access to the patient was because they believed the patient was in no condition to offer them anything.

  "Thanks for the time. We got just what we needed. I'll let Bishop O'Malley know how cooperative and helpful you both were." Erik made no effort to hide his sarcasm as he stepped out followed quickly by Martin and the two police officers.

  Martin tapped Erik on the shoulder. "What did you see?"

  "He saw the attacker's face. Now I have it." Erik tapped the side of his head, "It's up here now, in my memory and we can use that, Counselor."

  Martin's face clouded.

  "What's wrong?"

  "William was too clever for his own good. That's partially my fault. I let him watch and help me as I dabbled in espionage electronics. He learned to build those gadgets from me. When he was thirteen I accidently locked us out of the house. The rain was pouring down in buckets and my wife was out of town. I used a lock pick to get into the house and showed him how to work the tools. We made a game of it after that. I'd get several different padlocks and we'd have contests to see who could open them first. At that time, William wanted to be an agent, just like his dad. I'd forgotten all about those times. Hearing Peter's story brought back some memories."

  "Hang on to them, Martin. William never forgot the lessons you taught him, so I know he kept those good memories alive as well."

  "I hope so."

  "I know he did, Counselor." The detective glanced back at the black-clad Vatican guards. One of the men was speaking into a cell phone, "We need to keep pushing forward, I'm sure news of Brother Peter's remarkable recovery has been relayed to our Vatican friends." Erik quickened his pace until they were outside the hospital.

  ◆◆◆

  Erik and Martin had put some distance between their police escort and sat on a park bench. Both men sipped from coffee cups as Erik stared intently at several dozen pigeons. The detective took a deep swig from his cup and broke the moody silence.

  "We need to examine the bodies. I'm sure our Vatican friends will probably have another immaculate birth if I make the request. But you being the next of kin can gain access to see your son. They can't do much to stop that." Erik took another sip of his coffee and looked over at the two police officers sitting several benches from them. Neko was on his phone, no doubt making some kind of report regarding their whereabouts and activities. "Our hosts in the holy city seem hell-bent on keeping this whole incident a state secret. I'm confident they didn't expect us to discover the safe or get anything from Brother Peter. It's a safe bet the good bishop is getting minute-by-minute updates on everything we've done and discovered." He gestured toward the Greek police officer.

  Denton looked over and laughed. "They're just doing their jobs and following orders. I can't really blame them. You've sure given them some pretty colorful stuff to report though." Denton tossed some bread crumbs and seed from the bag he'd purchased into the pigeon flock, getting some relaxation from feeding the multitude of birds. "I need to see him, Erik. I need to say goodbye to my son."

  "Of course, Martin. I was wondering, perhaps, if you'd had enough excitement for one day and would consider waiting until tomorrow. We could make the formal request this evening since I'm confident we'll be escorted back to Vatican City for a debriefing." Erik helped himself to some birdseed and flung a handful at the flocking pigeons.

  "Did you bring an agency phone?" Denton tossed another handful of crumbs and seed.

  Erik nodded. "Yeah, it's in a case in my duffel bag."

  "I'll make the request tonight. I assume we'll be invited for a dinner meeting and grilled appropriately as we're fed a line of bullshit to explain away what we've uncovered. I'll ask to see my son alone as a personal visit to say goodbye and to make the final arrangements. You can make a fuss about coming, but I'll be the one who tells you no. If I make the refusal it buys us that much more credibility. I'll have my phone on and you can use the tracer function and catch up with me later." Denton looked over at his younger friend. "I assume you'll have no problem losing our babysitters."

  Erik snorted. "I don't think that'll be much of a problem. I just hope they don't get in too much trouble. I like them."

  Denton nodded in agreement. "As far as babysitters go, I like 'em too. Not enough to trust them, of course, but I like them just the same."

  Chapter 4. Prelude to a Holy War

  Washington DC, Columbia Heights

  Senior Senator Paul McMahon and Speaker of the House Andrew Collins sat nervously in the executive state room of the Starlight Bistro. Collins picked at his filet mignon while McMahon nervously sipped his third glass of wine.

  "Twenty years, Paul, twenty years I've been taking instruction through that blue phone and never have I been ordered to meet anybody from the ethereal realm. The Eternals like to manipulate things from a distance."

  McMahon's hands shook slightly, upsetting the contents of his wine glass. "I've only dealt with a few, lower-level mortal entities. I'll confess that seeing Nicadaemus personally dispatch Lazarus with not even a flinch was unnerving. I'm reminded just how small and insignificant we really are in their eyes. I'm wondering if we're going to live through this encounter."

  Collins shook his head in disagreement. "If they were going to kill us I don't think a public restaurant, even one as shady as The Starlight, would be the venue. We'd be butchered in the privacy of our own homes and deposited in some deserted back alley lot." He took a bite of his steak, pondering the upcoming meeting. "Like I said before, there's something wrong. Somebody, somewhere is upsetting the evil applecart." Collins sipped from his wine glass. "We're about to get interrogated by a divine, dark attorney looking for answers. I don't think we'll be having dessert in Hell."

  The senator placed his glass back down on the table. "That really doesn't make me feel any better."

  A curvy waitress interrupted their brooding. "Excuse me, sir. There's someone requesting an audience with you both." The woman looked back over her shoulder nervously. "He has a very disturbing presence."

  Collins nodded. "We're expecting him. Please show our guest over and have a bottle of 'Domaine de la Romanee-Conti' burgundy brought to the table."

  McMahon raised an eyebrow. "A twenty thousand dollar burgundy? Do they even drink?"

  "From what little I know, the Romanee-Conti wines have an appeal to our immortal friends—something special in the fermenting process. Our employers have a very expensive pallet."

  McMahon nodded. "Never hurts to kick off a meeting with a good gesture."

  Collins s
miled. "My feelings exactly."

  Andrew Collins felt a disturbing presence. He looked over his shoulder. Their waitress escorted a tall, thin man in an expensive Italian suit. The being's powerful, inhuman presence was undeniable. Collins felt immediately uncomfortable, unsure of what would happen in the next five minutes despite his earlier bravado.

  The Eternal studied the humans momentarily as if weighing something of their stature. "Gentlemen, I appreciate you taking time out of your schedules."

  Collins stood up and extended his hand. "The pleasure is ours."

  Paul McMahon mimicked his colleague's gesture and the three men sat down at the spacious table. Their waitress brought over a silver container that held the chilled bottle of wine. The being studied the bottle and nodded in approval. He looked over at Collins. "You've done your homework, Mr. Speaker. I'm impressed."

  The waitress poured a glass for their guest, her hand trembling, and then departed.

  The ethereal took a small sip, then with a sudden motion drained the entire glass in two gulps. He smiled and exhaled. "An excellent vintage. Now, gentlemen, let's get down to business." The being leaned forward. "The order to steal the relic was not issued from our forces. Our line of communication was compromised."

  Collins nodded slightly. "We figured as much when Nicadaemus paid us a visit earlier."

  The being shot him an annoyed look. "Nicadaemus is a blunt instrument and often goes off half-cocked. However, this time, his concerns are valid. What you've done is further exasperate a situation that's been spiraling out of control for the last six years."

  "May I inquire as to exactly what's going on? We can't be of much service if we don't know how bad our situation really is." Collins poured himself a glass of Romanee-Conti and then poured another for their guest.

  "Thus our meeting this evening." The being took a sip from his glass, leaned forward, and disclosed some alarming facts to his two human colleagues. "I'll start at the very beginning. Some 10,000 of your years ago two species fought a war of extinction on your planet. This war spilled over from a conflict initiated on a home world some three hundred light years from Earth. The normal rules of creation and extinction set about in the beginning stated all planets that had intelligent life capable of free will that were embroiled in ethereal conflict must be kept isolated from each other. The Espers and Seelak did not become embroiled in ethereal affairs until they were extremely advanced technologically, far more than your race has achieved. When the battle of Light and Dark broke out on their world, it shook the very foundations of Heaven and Hell. The war was so great that their planet and star system were eventually destroyed by it. A small group on both sides managed to escape in a large spacecraft and they settled here upon Earth some 10,000 years ago.