by Barry Reese
"Here you go," Morgan said, folding the paper in half and then handing it over. "I didn’t take much information, actually. I just wanted to know how to reach a man named Walther Lunt."
Louis obviously recognized the name. His back stiffened and a terrible sneer touched his lips. "That bastard… if it were up to me, I’d let you have him."
Morgan sensed an opening and leapt for it. He gestured with his free hand toward the scar on the man’s face. "Is he responsible for that?"
"Among other things, yes." Louis shook his head, obviously trying to clear it of bad memories. "Down on your knees. "
"Aren’t you going to look at the paper? That’s everything, I swear."
Louis hesitated and then began to unfold the paper. When his eyes dropped, Morgan sprang into action. He knew he was a dead man but he wasn’t going to risk going down without a fight. He threw himself into Louis, knocking the man off his feet. Morgan made sure to shove the bald man into one of his henchmen.
Using instincts honed as a member of Assistance Unlimited, Morgan was a blur of action. He drew his gun and had blown off the head of the nearest thug before the remaining two men had even reached for their own weapons.
Morgan ducked and rolled, evading gunshots from the two men who were still on their feet. When he came back to his knees, he fired twice more, each bullet ripping through the throats of his targets.
In just a few seconds, Morgan had killed three men, which left him facing only two more: the odds had improved immensely. With any luck, he might get out of this in one piece, after all.
Louis gestured for his remaining ally to hang back. He held his hands up, his gun still clutched tightly. Morgan held his weapon aimed at the bald man’s head but didn’t pull the trigger. He was curious what Louis was up to.
"We can talk about this," Louis said. "We both hate Lunt."
"I thought you said it wasn’t up to you, though. You’ve got your orders, right? Take the information I’ve gathered and kill me. That’s the basics, right?"
"That’s what I was told to do, yes. But that doesn’t mean we can’t change things."
Morgan stood up, his eyes flicking over to the cab that had brought him here. The driver was sitting in the front seat, watching intently. Given the blood that freely trickled from his ruined jaw, the driver’s hatred for Morgan was obvious. No way was that guy going to sit by and let Morgan negotiate his way to freedom. "I don’t think that’s going to happen and we all know it."
Louis swallowed hard and then spun about. He shot the man standing behind him, blowing a hole directly between the man’s eyes. He then turned toward the car and fired three times before one of the bullets ended the driver’s life. He then tossed the gun aside and turned back to Morgan. "Now can we talk?’
Morgan took a deep breath and nodded. He lowered his weapon, wondering about the wisdom of this. A part of him said he should simply kill Louis on the spot and flee back to the States… but what if he could gather more information this way? What if Louis knew something that would allow Assistance Unlimited to drive a stake through The Illuminati’s heart?
"Make it good," Morgan said at last.
And Louis began to speak.
***
The crime scene was abuzz with activity but Samantha found it hard to concentrate on the men and women around them. She kept focusing on all the tiny bodies that had been laid out to the side, sheets carefully placed over the ruined remains. The smell was awful and she knew that at least part of that came from the burned flesh of children.
"Samantha? Are you going to be all right?"
Samantha glanced over at Lazarus, noting the look of concern in his eyes. His face remained stoic but for those who knew him well, it was obvious when he was troubled. "I’m fine," she lied. "Really."
After a moment’s consideration, Lazarus nodded and resumed walking through the debris. Samantha followed right behind him, primly watching her step on the treacherous terrain.
The various officers in charge of the investigation were watching Gray with a mixture of hopefulness and disdain. Though most of the police force was in the back pockets of gangsters like The Monster or Big Tony, some of them were legitimate enough to appreciate the assistance that Gray provided. But they still felt some jealousy when the man stepped onto the scene and found something that they’d missed.
Gray brushed aside some charred pieces of wood with the toe of his shoe. He spotted something amidst the ash and knelt to take a closer examination of the object, lifting it up between two fingers. He blew on it to clear off some of the dirt and held it up for Samantha to see. "What do you think this is?"
Samantha bent at the waist, placing her hands on her knees. She was aware of – but tried to ignore – the stares of the cops nearby. She knew she was attractive but there were so few men who were her intellectual equal that she found it hard to enjoy all the attention. The object that Gray was holding appeared to be shaped out of stone and resembled a crescent moon, though there were three deep scratches across its center, as if a cat had marked it with its claws. "I’ve never seen anything like it. What kind of rock is that?"
"Not one from this world," Gray answered. He stood up and dropped it into the pocket of his coat. "I’ve seen stones like that before. It’s from the moon."
Samantha’s gaze drifted upward, toward the hazy morning sky. "But… how?"
"Sometimes they’re brought to earth on the backs of meteors. But I’d wager that this one came the old fashioned way: I think someone went to the moon and picked it up."
"That’s impossible," Samantha responded.
"Not really. Think about all the bizarre things we’ve seen in the course of our adventures. Is it really so shocking that men might be traveling back and forth to the moon?"
"Yes," Samantha said with a smile. "It’s still pretty damned shocking."
"Such language from a young lady. It’s disgraceful."
Samantha straightened and looked over at Inspector Cord of the Sovereign PD. He was a whippet-thin man who had one eye that seemed to be perpetually narrowed.
"Sorry if I offended you, Inspector."
"I’ll recover but thank you." Cord gestured toward Lazarus. "Did I see you pick something up and put it in your pocket? I sincerely hope not, since you don’t have leave to remove evidence from a crime scene."
"Is that what this is?" Samantha asked sweetly. "A crime scene? I thought it was just a freak accident."
Cord grimaced. "Well, yes, of course it is… Still, seems a bit ghoulish to have you lot coming in here and removing souvenirs’."
While Samantha and Inspector Cord were exchanging words, Lazarus had moved away. He knew that Samantha would keep the man occupied long enough to allow him to finish his business. The reference to ‘The God of Hate’ in that letter, coupled with the presence of a moonstone, was sparking his memory again. He wanted to check with Eun to see what the young man had come up with, but he was beyond positive that all of this was related to something quite evil. Lazarus was sure that during his previous existence, he’d never crossed paths with The God of Hate but he’d heard of him and the stories had been quite terrifying.
It was at that moment when Lazarus spotted one last clue: it was a sheet of paper, the sort used by schoolchildren the world over. Someone had drawn a crude image of a monster on it and Gray felt a chill go down his spine as he lifted the paper from the ground. Evidently, a child had been awake at the time of the stranger’s visit and had drawn this image of him while looking out his window. Gray saw a human figure staring back at him but the face was filled with razor sharp teeth and elongated ears. The monster’s hands looked like each finger was topped by claws.
"I see you," he whispered aloud, as if the figure on the page could hear him. "I see you."
***
Eun Jiwon turned the yellowed pages of the manuscript, his mouth feeling increasingly dry. It hadn’t taken long to find references to The God of Hate in the library but the things that he’d uncovere
d had boggled the mind. The God of Hate, also known as The Claw and by half a dozen other terrifying identities, was practically a demonic force unto himself.
According to the dozens of sources he’d found, The Claw was an inhuman figure that had lurked along the outskirts of humanity for centuries. There were unconfirmed stories that he’d once been a human who had either bargained away his soul for power or a scientist whose pursuit of dark answers had led him astray. But most of the tales simply said he was a monster who had emerged full-force into an unsuspecting world.
Eun paused at a charcoal depiction of The Claw and he wondered how accurate it truly was. Surely, he mused, this was an exaggeration of the figure’s actual appearance. With the oversized teeth and claws, along with the elongated ears, it looked like a distant cousin to Max Schreck’s Nosferatu.
The young man was so lost in thought that he failed to hear the soft footsteps behind him. It wasn’t until a cold, dry hand closed around his mouth and another grabbed his arms that he realized he was no longer alone. Being a man of action, Eun struck back quickly, driving an elbow back into the midsection of the person who had grabbed him but he cried out in shock. It felt like he’d struck a brick wall and from the pain in his elbow, Eun wondered if he’d broken it.
"Shh," a slightly high-pitched voice whispered into Eun’s ear. The man’s voice was as cold as the grave and Eun involuntarily shivered. "I won’t harm you, Eun Jiwon. Not now. My war lies not with you but with the man you serve. If I release my grip upon you, will you listen to what I have to say?"
Eun nodded, forcing himself to relax. When he felt the hands leave him, he spun about quickly, his eyes widening. Standing there before him was the living proof that the charcoal artist had been right: The Claw was just as hideous as the book had promised.
The Claw smiled coolly and his sharp teeth glistened wetly. "Your master is off in search of me? He got the letter I sent?"
Eun tried to keep the horror from his voice but he failed to do so, which shamed him. "Yes. He’s going to stop you before you kill again."
"He will try," The Claw agreed. "But as you can see, the impressive defenses he has put around his home failed to stop my entrance. I have no doubt that in personal combat, I would be able to best him." The God of Hate stepped closer and the foul odor that came from him caused Eun to back away, until his rear bumped against the table covered by books. "I wish to be done with this business between us. Tell him that. Tell him that I will hold his lover in my grasp until he comes for her. He should come alone and unarmed. Then we will see which of us is the deadlier. You will tell him this?"
Eun nodded, wondering at the creature’s words. Gray’s lover? Who was he referring to? He’d bet his last dollar that Lazarus and Samantha weren’t carrying on a secret affair and the girl from Gray’s past – Miya Shimada – had fled Sovereign. Nevertheless, Eun knew what he needed to do. "I will make it clear to him that you mean business."
The Claw laughed. "Good. Then I will let you live, so that you might pass on this message. I have shown him my cruelty and now I show him how easily I could take away what means most to him."
Eun watched as The Claw spun about and exited the room. After waiting a few seconds, Eun bolted after him, hoping to see how the villain had pierced the base’s defenses. But all he saw in the hallway was a still and quiet emptiness.
Chapter III
Loves Lost Forever
Samantha had developed the bad habit of chewing her nails. She wasn’t sure when it had begun but she’d first noticed it during Morgan’s last stint in the hospital. She was engaging in the habit now as she sat in the passenger seat of a black sedan, parked across the street from The Sovereign Museum of Natural History. If Eun, who was seated beside her, noticed her actions, he didn’t comment upon them. In fact, they’d been sitting in total silence since Lazarus had left them, wandering alone into the museum.
The Sovereign Museum of Natural History was a sprawling structure standing in the heart of downtown. Comprised of twelve interconnected buildings, the Museum housed well over a million specimens, only a relative few of which were on active display. With a scientific staff of over a hundred, the Museum funded nearly four-dozen scientific expeditions each year, sending explorers out all over the globe. The Museum was divided up into numerous displays but the most popular was the ever-present Start of Sovereign Hall, where the origins of the city were examined. To access this, visitors had to stride through the huge entranceway, where they could stare up at a full-size model of a Blue Whale which hung from the ceiling. It was an awesome view and one that Samantha had enjoyed on many visits. But at the moment she couldn’t bring herself to think about anything but Lazarus and his secrets.
"I can’t believe he’s never mentioned this," she said at last, tearing a thin piece of nail off with her teeth.
"Why would he? It was before he’d met most of us. It’s not like we share all the details of our personal lives with each other."
Samantha glanced over at Eun, a look of disbelief on her face. "What are you talking about? Every time one of us goes out on a date, everybody knows it. I guarantee you that Morgan knows all the men I’ve ever so much as held hands with."
"Yes, but that’s because Morgan is romantically interested in you. I don’t parade my romantic entanglements for all to see."
Samantha paused, realizing that Eun was right about that. Early on, he’d made a few perfunctory passes at her but even then she’d thought his heart hadn’t been in it. And since then… she’d never seen him with any girl at all. Apparently, he was more private than she’d realized. "Okay," she finally admitted. "But if Lazarus had been sleeping with the daughter of the Museum’s curator, I think we’d have heard some mention of it."
Eun sighed, knowing that Samantha carried a torch for Lazarus Gray nearly the size of the one borne aloft by the Statue of Liberty. But she also had feelings for Morgan, which led to all kinds of stress within Assistance Unlimited. Gray seemed unaware of Samantha’s desires, which only made things tenser.
Only Eun stayed out of the group’s romantic entanglements, preferring to keep his homosexuality quiet. "Lazarus says that he had a brief fling with her a few months after coming to Sovereign. It didn’t last, partially because his amnesia put a wall between them. That’s all we need to know."
Samantha pursed her pretty lips. "You said that The Claw called her his lover. Present-tense."
"I don’t think they’re still together." Eun’s tone became a bit harsher now, as his temper gave way. "And what difference does it make anyway? He has the right to live his own life. All of us do!"
Samantha blinked in surprise, realizing she’d hit some sort of nerve. "Sorry, Eun. I didn’t mean anything, really. I was just jealous, that’s all."
Eun looked out the window and took a deep breath. "No. I’m the one who needs to apologize. It’s just… I’ve been keeping a relationship from the rest of you, too."
Samantha relaxed, feeling more at ease now. She reached out and patted Eun on the shoulder. "That’s wonderful, Eun. When can I meet her?"
"Him."
"What?"
Eun turned his head slightly, so that he could see her face. "Him. Not her."
Samantha’s mouth parted in surprise. "Oh." A second later, she recovered her usual sense of decorum. "Well, then. Him. When I do get to meet him?"
A faint smile played across Eun’s lips. "You don’t mind, do you?"
"Did you think that I would?"
"Not really. It’s just hard to share sometimes. You understand?"
Samantha paused and then nodded slowly. She knew what Eun was really saying: that there were things everyone kept hidden. Maybe this was one of those sorts of things for Lazarus.
***
Though Samantha had thought of Kelly Emerson as merely "the curator’s daughter," she was in fact much more. A graduate of Sovereign University, Kelly held doctorates in archaeology and anthropology. Standing nearly six feet tall and possessed of flowing r
ed hair, she looked like a modern Amazon, with enough curves to unsettle even the most ardent of playboys. Her glittering green eyes and full lips had warmed Gray’s heart when he’d first met her and their love affair was still recent enough that both of them found it slightly uncomfortable to be in the same room.
Lazarus stood facing her cluttered desk, his eyes traveling over the familiar walls. Several tribal masks from Africa were placed above a crowded bookcase, while a mummified cat sat perched watchfully on a nearby table.
Kelly wore a long white dress that buttoned down the front. She normally hated to wear dresses or skirts but found that it eased dealings with men when she was at the museum. Given her druthers, she would have traipsed around in hiking boots, khaki shorts and a sensible shirt. Alas, it was still a man’s world, even in the modern era of 1935.
"You can sit down, you know," she said, opening a slim cigarette case. "You still don’t smoke?"
"No, I don’t." Gray picked up a stack of papers and set them on the floor, freeing up a chair for him sit down in. "You don’t seem to be taking this very seriously."
Kelly took a drag on her cigarette and leaned back in her chair. She crossed her legs, somewhat disappointed that Gray’s eyes didn’t take the bait. "Let me get this straight. The person who burned down the orphanage is actually a demon known as The God of Hate. This monster has threatened to take your lover hostage and so that’s why you’re here?" Kelly shrugged her shoulders. "We haven’t been lovers for a long time, Lazarus. You don’t think he meant anyone else?"
"I haven’t been with another woman."
Kelly dropped her gaze and sighed. "You’re a strange one, Mr. Gray. Ever get that memory of yours straightened out?"
"Somewhat. I know what my name used to be and I know a few details about my past. But most of it still seems like a dream; like it happened to someone else."