“You keep this up much longer you’re going to do my job for me,” said Marcus in a singsong voice. “And then I’m going to go inside, kill your baby and gut your wife, maybe after I’ve had some alone-time with her.”
“I don’t need to keep it up for long, you bastard,” said Roland as he jumped up and used a cushion of air to propel himself forward. ““Just long enough to kill you.”
He landed behind Marcus and extended a hand, cutting off the air around him. Marcus turned and got two shots off before he collapsed to the ground, gasping for air. One of the bullets went wide, but the other buried itself in Roland’s abdomen.
“Void weapons, fucker,” said Marcus before he passed out.
*********
Roland leaned against a tree and looked down at the wound. It was bad. A void weapon only had one purpose: to expand nothingness, eventually consuming the target. As an Arch Mystic, Roland had mastered the void discipline. He could halt the progress but not stop it completely. He needed to get the bullet out before it was too late. For a brief moment, he contemplated putting a bullet in Marcus’’s head. Then he ran for the facility and his wife.
SEVEN
ROLAND ARRIVED AT the steel door and punched in the code. The first thing he saw was the blood and imagined the worst. Sebastian and Will were hovering over Mei and she looked bad. Then he saw Ava and stumbled over to the incubator.
“Hello, Ava,” he said as he took two steps and fell to the ground. “My little warrior.”
Sebastian turned at the commotion and rushed over to him. He placed a bandage over the wound to stop the bleeding.
“Tried…tried to kill him,” said Roland. “I tried……couldn’t.”
“Shut up,” said Sebastian. “He’s lost too much blood, Will. This looks like a void bullet.”
“Normally I would say leave it in until I could attend to it, but you need to get the bullet out of him before it does more damage,” said Will, still focused on Mei. “Use the pliers, get the bullet out, and contain the bleeding.”
“What’s going on, Seb?” said Roland. “What’’s wrong with Mei? So much blood.”
“Nothing’s wrong,” said Sebastian, You’re having twins. Now hold still as I remove this.”
Sebastian reached in with the pliers and grasped the bullet. It had started to degenerate into a black mass at the tip. Once removed, Roland regained some clarity and color.
“He’s still out there, Seb. You need to take Ava and run,” said Roland. “I tried to do it…”
“You’re not a killer, Roland, you never were,” said Sebastian. “And I’m not going anywhere.”
“Take her to your father. Leave the country, Seb,” said Roland as he grabbed Sebastian’s arm. “You have to keep her safe.”
“Seb, I’m losing them—I need you here,” said Will as Sebastian approached. ““Put pressure there and there,” Will said and indicated as he moved quickly.
“What’s happening, Will?” asked Sebastian.
“Baby’s heartbeat is getting thready and Mei’s BP is falling, both bad,” said Will. “I think she is using her ability in addition to giving birth, which isn’t helping her.”
Roland stood beside Mei and rubbed her head. The ground shook and the roof caved in on one side, sending debris into the room.
“Did you see her, love?” asked Mei. “Did you see our daughter? She has both marks. She has a sister. I chose Alexa, after your mother.””
Shhh,” said Roland. “Save your strength for her.”
“I’m so tired, Roland, please keep them safe,” whispered Mei. “I love you.”
She lost consciousness after that and the heart monitor flat-lined.
“Mei, no,” said Roland. “Bring her back, Will. Bring her back!”
“I’m trying, but she’s hemorrhaging and I can’t find the source!”” yelled Will as he worked feverishly to stop the blood flow.
Another part of the ceiling collapsed. A beam crashed into the room, slammed into Will, and crushed him. It narrowly missed the incubator that held Ava. Roland and Sebastian were thrown to one side as a chasm formed in the center of the room.
“She must have been keeping the building intact,” said Roland. “Get Ava, Seb!”
Sebastian made it to Ava and removed the crying baby just before a large chunk of concrete flattened the incubator. The building creaked and groaned and more debris filled the room. He lifted Roland and dragged him as they left the room and headed down another ramp to the underground exit. Above them, it sounded like a wrecking ball had smashed into the side of the building.
“Paras are here,” said Sebastian, out of breath. “Roland, we need to go.”
Roland pulled his arm away. “I’m not leaving them, Seb,” he said. “You take Ava. Promise me you will train her. She has the marks?”
Sebastian nodded as tears filled his eyes. “Roland, I’m no good at this—I’m not a father,” he said. “You need to come with us. She needs you.”
“You’re all she has now. Train her for the MID,” said Roland as he leaned against a wall and slid to the ground. His wound had reopened and the blood soaked the ground beneath him.
“The investigative division?” asked Sebastian as he crouched down. “That’s for latents. She has the marks and will probably be a third-degree by the time she’s forty, if not sooner.”
“She won’t need her abilities there,” said Roland, his voice hoarse. “Teach her the void weapons. You’ve seen how effective they are.” He gave a dry laugh, which turned into a cough.
Ava cried in Sebastian’s arms and then grew suddenly quiet. Sebastian looked down at her and saw her focused intently on the ceiling with her brow furrowed. The building had gone silent as well.
“What the…” said Sebastian as she gripped his finger.
“Listen to me, Seb,” continued Roland. Sebastian snapped his attention back to his dying brother-in-law. “If she trains her body and mind, she can be a match for any mystic.””
Sebastian shook his head. “MID doesn’t make many friends, Roland,” he said. “They’re liked less than the Enforcers.”
“She doesn’t need friends,” whispered Roland “She needs allies she can trust.”
“And if she’s discovered?”
“By the time they find out who she is, it will be too late, she will be too powerful,” said Roland. “They won’t be able to move against her.”
“You’re consigning her to a life of shadows,” said Sebastian. “A life alone.”
“She won’t be alone,” said Roland. “She has you, and you know the alternative.”
After a moment of silence, Sebastian sighed.
“Death,” he said.
“There is no other way, Seb.”
“They will call her a dark flame and attempt to remove her if they find out. You know the Enclave.”
“You won’t let them.”
“They will have to kill me first.”
“No easy task,” said Roland and gave half a smile. “I have firsthand experience. Help me up—they’re coming.”
Sebastian gave a grim smile in return and helped Roland up to his feet.
“Go, get out of the country, and keep her safe,” said Roland. “Tell her about her mother and me, about her family.”
Sebastian gave Roland one last hug. Roland cupped Ava’s face in his hands and kissed her forehead. “I love you, my little warrior,” he said and then stumbled back up the ramp.
Roland made it to the makeshift operating room where his wife and unborn child lay. He could hear the boot steps of the Paras coming down the corridor. He gathered his power as they got closer. He felt underneath the building and saw the compromised foundation. He let his power excavate past the foundation and into the earth beneath the building. He hugged his wife’s lifeless body and gave her lips one last kiss.
I was never as good as you were with the earth, but I can do this.
He closed his eyes and unleashed everything he had left.
*********
Sebastian reached the underground exit and punched in another code. The door swung open and he ran through it. He closed it behind him and shattered the lock with a gesture, sealing the exit.
EIGHT
TITUS REGAINED CONSCIOUSNESS just as the Paranormal Task Force first responders entered the building. They were armed like a swat team on steroids, with dark blue uniforms and mirrored helmets. They approached, blew the front door off its hinges, and stormed the facility. They smashed in the walls, fired first, and asked questions second. It was clear they were expecting heavy resistance.
I think I’m going to sit this one out, he thought as he rubbed the swelling on the back of his head. He stood unsteadily and made his way to the partially buried Shadow. He was about to call the Enclave when a sinkhole swallowed the entire Alley Pond Recreational Center and it vanished from sight. He stepped to the edge of the sinkhole and peered down, careful not to slide into the hole itself. He could not see where it ended. He stood there for a few seconds, when a dim light caught his attention. He peered closer and decided to move back several feet. Those feet saved his life as a fireball, the circumference of the sinkhole, raced into the sky and exploded at ground level. It singed his face and flung him back over the Shadow like a ragdoll. Only his Enforcer suit prevented him from suffering multiple fractures. He stood shakily and saw Marcus lying face down in the distance.
He approached and saw him stir. He chambered his weapon as he stepped closer. He watched as Marcus turned over on his back and looked up into the barrel of his gun.
“What the fuck do you think you are doing?” snarled Marcus. “You’re going to draw on me, you little pissant?”
“Don’t move,” said Titus. His voice was calm and his hand never wavered. Marcus slowly sat up and stopped moving. Titus saw him look around and spot his gun a few feet away.
“You planned on killing the mystic and his family.” It wasn’t a question.
Marcus craned his neck around Titus and looked around at the sinkhole and at the fires around its edge.
“It was an order and I’d say that took care of itself,” said Marcus with a smile. He put his hands up in mock surrender. ““Listen, no harm no foul. We completed the mission and I will let you take some of the credit. I’ll tell your uncle that you contributed significantly to the completion of this objective.”
“I’m done with the Enclave, the Enforcers and my uncle,” said Titus. The words were cold, calculated, the cadence measured. “This is over.”
“You’re done?” asked Marcus. “This is over? You think this is some club where you can cancel your membership? Boy, you do not know what you are dealing with. You will never be done with the Enclave. They own you!”
“No one owns me,” said Titus. The words came out quietly, more to himself than to Marcus.
“If you think you’re walking away from this, you are sorely mistaken, you little shit,” said Marcus. “There is nowhere you can hide—I don’t care who your uncle is. They will hunt you down until…”
Marcus made a grab for his gun and Titus shot two bullets into his head.
“Let them come,” he said to the corpse at his feet. “I’ll be waiting.””
He disappeared into the woods.
NINE
THE PLANE LANDED at one in the morning. As they taxied into the terminal, the voice of the captain came over the loudspeaker and announced that they had arrived safely in Fukuoka airport. He wished them a pleasant stay, gave them the local time, and told them to wait until all of the airplane personnel had unloaded the carry-on luggage. He wished them a good morning and turned off the seatbelt indicator. A hive of activity followed. Some of the passengers remained in their seats and allowed the more impatient ones to disembark first.
Sebastian sat in first class and waited for the plane to empty before moving. An airhostess came over and offered to assist him. He politely refused but thanked her. With one hand, he removed his small bag and slung it over his shoulder. He traveled light. In the other arm, the little baby girl slept peacefully as he made his way off the plane and into the arrival terminal. A woman dressed in a black bodysuit with a red sword on the side waited for him——an Enforcer of the Japanese Enclave, who served his father. She bowed when she saw him and led him to a waiting limousine.
He entered the car as she held the door for him. Once he settled in, they pulled away from the airport. Sebastian rubbed Ava’s chin, waking her up.
Little Musha, you look just like your mother, he thought. She cooed at the stimulation, but her eyes remained fixed on his face intently.
“Your father would like to extend his welcome to you both,” said the driver from the front. “My deep condolences on the loss of your sister and brother-in-law, sir.””
Sebastian did not answer, but nodded to show that he had heard her. He kept his gaze on Ava and returned her stare. He raised the partition and created a cocoon of silence.
When the time comes, I will make sure you are ready, Ava Tanaka James. I promise.
She had fallen asleep again. He closed his eyes, put his head back, and did the same.
TEN
THE AREA AROUND the sinkhole buzzed with activity. Several of the Paras had rappelled down the sinkhole and had reached the bottom. One of the Paras, in a dark blue uniform with silver striping, stood on the edge of the circle and spoke into his radio. A silver fist surrounded by laurels on the left side of his chest showed his rank as commanding officer. He stood a head above the other Paras. His close-cropped hair cut a stark contrast to the long hair of the Paras around him.
“What is the sitrep?” said the officer. “Any survivors?”
“Sir, this place looks like ground zero for a nuke,” said the voice over the radio. “Everything is slagged, and the first responders are DIS——deceased in situ. This looks bad, sir.”
The officer turned to one of the Paras who operated the rappel lines. “Get me a harness and a line,” he said. “I need to go down there.””
Moments later, the officer, with his line secured to a nearby tree, rappelled down the hole. One Para made sure the line did not become entangled with the others, while another secured the ties on the tree.
*********
“Who’s that?” said the Para, securing the ties. “I’ve never seen a CO get his hands dirty.”
The Para who operated the lines made sure the officer was out of earshot before he spoke. “That’s Joshua Canus,” he said. ““They call him the Pitbull, because once he latches on, he doesn’t let go of an investigation until it’s done. He’s the youngest field CO in PTF history.”
They both looked down as Joshua descended into the sinkhole.
*********
Three hundred feet later, Joshua reached the bottom and saw what was left of the facility.
“Goddamn mystics,” he muttered as he looked around. “This looks like an op gone wrong.”
“Sir, yes sir,” said the Para next to him.
“Where’s Franco?” asked Joshua.
“Over here, sir,” said Matt Franco, the second in command. His uniform also had a silver fist, but no laurels adorned the sides.
“Any residuals?” asked Joshua.
“This whole place is bathed in residuals,” said Franco. “Looks like the entire center was lowered” —he looked at his notes—“three hundred feet, and then incinerated. We did find some remains. Over here, sir.”
They walked down the corridor and found the makeshift operating room. One of the Paras turned away and vomited at the sight. Joshua stepped close to the table where Mei’s body lay.
“ID?” he asked. “You ran an auric check?”
“Yes, sir, no ID,” said Franco. “The blast left only trace images. The auric check was able to determine how many were down here at the time of the blast, but that’’s all.”
“Don’t keep me in suspense, Franco, what’s the tally?” said Joshua. ““How many?”
“Sir, some of this in
formation is…sensitive.”
Joshua looked at Franco and nodded.
“Security clearance Alpha,” said Franco. All the Paras left the room except Joshua and Franco. Joshua walked over and examined the bed where the remains of Mei’s body were. He looked under it and then examined the beam that had crushed Will.
“I only see two here, Franco,” said Joshua. “Tell me what I’m looking at.”
“Two, sir—one male and one female,” said Franco. “It looks like the female had just given birth. Judging from the structural damage, it would appear that at least one of them was an Earth Mystic.”
“That would explain why the entire facility is three hundred feet underground, but it doesn’t explain the blast,” said Joshua. ““You said the female had just given birth? Did the check find the remains of the baby?”
“No, sir,” said Franco. According to energy signatures and trace chemicals left behind, she was in labor, but no remains were found of an infant.”
“So a newborn just up and walked out of here and proceeded to climb three hundred feet of its own volition?” asked Joshua as he poked around the beam and found the incubator buried under rubble. “Did you get a reading on this?”
Franco approached the incubator and examined it with the auric calibrator. The device appeared to be a small hard drive with a screen. It remained silent for a few seconds and then chirped. Franco read the results and whistled under his breath.
“If I’m reading this correctly, sir, the child born here is off the mystic charts,” said Franco. “We are looking at an Arch Mystic, easily third-degree.”
“Well, that explains the Shadow and some of this, but not all of it,” said Joshua. “Someone dropped the ball and miscalculated.””
“Yes, sir,” said Franco. “How do you want me to proceed?”
“Contact the Enclave and get their response on this,” said Joshua. “I’m sure it will be the usual bullshit of ‘classified and no comment.’ Tell them the body count is… inconclusive due to the blast, but at least three, not counting our responders. Make sure to impound the Shadow upstairs. We may be able to get something from its hard drive. Keep the Enclave outside the cordon until I give permission to proceed and seal this room. No one under Alpha clearance enters.”
The Dark Flame: An Ava James Short (Chronicles of the Modern Mystics Book 0) Page 3