Guardians Inc.:Thundersword (Guardians Incorporated #2)

by Julian Rosado-Machain

  The room opened to a large circular alcove. Chairs were arranged around a round table. Thirty men and women of different ages and ethnicities were seated around the table. On top of each chair was either a symbol or a star map of a constellation. Thomas’s brain automatically translated the symbols. They were all ancient; all of them had a deep meaning. Thomas knew most of the names—Dendera, Fornax, Yubati, Lacerta—and each one was the name of a constellation or an ancient God associated to the discipline for which the company was formed. Caelum Mining Corp, for example, took its name from a constellation in the southern hemisphere that meant, “chisel.” As long as you knew the first name of each company, you knew where they had been formed and their area of expertise.

  The center of the table was ringed with little flames about three inches high that burned in a deep blue color, one for each member of the Council.

  “It’s my pleasure to introduce Thomas Byrne to this Council,” the Doctor said. His cane was placed on top of the round table in front of him, and Thomas saw that different articles were placed in front of the other Council members—necklaces, a chain, a chisel, a feather pen. A long, engraved tusk was placed in front of an old woman with dark skin and a deep wrinkled face, but her eyes were tender. He noted that of all the items on the table, only one was definitely a weapon—a long sword. The man behind it, however, didn’t look like a warrior. He was lying on top of a medical bed, bags of serum and different fluids hung by the metal posts, and a respirator mask was attached to his face. He looked frail and old, but his gaze betrayed strength and a keen intellect. Thomas immediately recognized the symbol over the empty chair by his side; he had seen it many times since it was etched on the left side of Guardians’ seal, right beside the eye of Rah.

  A constellation map—Lacerta, the lizard.

  The chair sat on the opposite side of Doctor Franco’s. Lacerta had been formed at the same time the Order of Asclepius and it had been created as their counterpart. While the followers of Asclepius were healers and teachers, Lacerta were warriors, spies, and soldiers, protectors and bodyguards of the knowledge and assets of the Council of Twilight. He already knew that the branch had contracted the most among all others as time progressed. At some time in history, Lacerta had a standing army and even assassins in their employment, but as technology progressed and Guardians Inc. connections to the world governments and society became less violent, their role diminished.

  Lacerta Unlimited was now a shadow of its former self, and Thomas imagined that its CEO wasn’t at all happy about it.

  Thomas looked over at the sign above the Doctor’s chair, the other constellation map that appeared on the right side of the eye in the Guardians’ seal—Ophiuchus, the Serpent Bearer, and symbol of Asclepius, the Healer.

  Only the chair on the left side of the Doctor was empty, and above it was the symbol of the all-seeing Eye of Rah, the central symbol of the Guardians’ seal and logo. Thomas immediately understood that it was the chair reserved for the Guardian of Twilight.

  This would become his chair if he ever found the Book of Concord.

  “It’s nice to know you at last,” a young girl from the left side of the table spoke. She was dark skinned and seemed younger than Thomas, maybe thirteen or fourteen years old. The symbol above her was an Aztec glyph—Paynal, a Messenger of the Gods. Paynal Applied Quantum Technology was at the forefront of physics research and their applications for computing and communications. He made a mental note about asking the Doctor how a girl so young could be its CEO. “At least we know now that you really exist.” She continued.

  “As does Morgan Byrne,” the man in the respirator mask said. “Your grandfather?” he asked, and Thomas nodded. He supposed that the CEO of Lacerta already knew that detail but was saying it aloud for the others to hear or as a courtesy for him.

  “It was a terrible oversight losing him to the Warmaster,” a dark-skinned woman said while leaning in from her seat. She was seated under the Egyptian hieroglyph with the name “Seshat.” “We could have had two Cyphers instead of one, and we wouldn’t be in this predicament.”

  “We all know the particulars of that incident,” a heavy-set, blond man said from across the table. His eyes were of a blue tinge so faint that they looked almost white. In his chair Thomas read the name “Forseti” from the Nordic runes. “But, can anyone here in good conscience say that they even suspected Tasha to betray us?” he continued. He represented Forseti, Sons and Associates, the branch that dealt with International Law, the lawyers and jurists of Guardians Inc.

  “We were complacent and trusting,” a short, Japanese man said softly while smiling at Thomas. Apart from the Doctor, he was only person Thomas knew already. Hitoshi Yokoyama, Chief Financial Officer of Guardians Inc. and his grandfather’s old boss while he worked for the company. He sat below the Sumerian cuneiform symbols that translated into the name “Innana.” “We should be more attentive to this young man’s journey if he is to become the next Guardian of Twilight.”

  “That’s right,” the Doctor said. “He’s already decoded a sign from the Oracle, and he’s on his way to finding the Book of Concord.”

  “That is in doubt,” the man in from Lacerta said after taking a deep breath through his respirator. “We know that his grandfather has been following him, and he’s taken two signs from him already.” The man had to stop and take a deep breath after three or four words.

  “We have a plan to correct that situation,” the Doctor said. “It is a little radical, but less so than the one suggested by Lacerta.”

  “And probably less effective too,” the man with the respirator responded. “Our solution would be final.”

  Thomas gulped. The word “final” carried a deep, threatening meaning, especially coming from the CEO of Lacerta Unlimited.

  The woman with the tender eyes seemed to have noticed Thomas’s alarm. “My friends,” she said aloud. “Let’s not bore our Cypher with our plans and schemes. Hearing our constant banter is enough, don’t you think?” She glanced at the dark-skinned girl who smiled. “I’m sure Thomas has more important things to do than stay in this dusty chamber.”

  “I believe he does,” Doctor Franco said and looked at Thomas reassuringly. “Thank you, Thomas.” On cue, the door opened for Thomas to leave. He nodded at the Council members and turned back, then stopped and turned again.

  “What did you mean by final solution?” he asked the man in the respirator mask.

  “Thomas,” the Doctor said, but the man in the respirator answered.

  “Final usually means just that, boy,” the man said, stressing the word “boy” as much as he could.

  “You want to kill him?” Thomas asked.

  The man didn’t answer, but his lip curled into a tight smile. Thomas looked around at the other Council members; some held his gaze while the little girl turned her eyes away from him.

  “Our business is about building an empire,” the man said. “You should know that by now.”

  A woman with flowing, dark hair dressed in an impeccable suit slammed her hand on the table. “Our business is life!” she yelled at the man in the respirator. “All life! You are the one who should know that by now.” The object in front of her began to glow in a faint blue, as did some of the other objects, including the Doctor’s. Thomas read the tribal painting above her chair, “Glooscap.” A hero and mythical figure for the Wabanaki nations of the Northern Americas. Glooscap was a creator and protector of life.

  “We know that,” the wiry man under the Yubati symbol interjected. Yubati Computing was one of the Corporation companies that were being affected the most by the influx of Magic. Thomas knew a lot about them because they had developed in part Bolswaithe's systems and Bolswaithe spoke of them often as family. “But we also need results.” He looked at Thomas.

  “You won’t get anything from me if you kill my grandfather.” Thomas clenched his fists. “Or even approach him.”

  “Thomas!” the Doctor said. “It won’t come
to that. I promise you. It wasn’t even considered.”

  Thomas glared at the Doctor angrily. “I trusted you,” he said. He could tell that he wounded the Doctor deeply with that comment.

  “That’s uncalled for!” the girl yelled at Thomas. As she stood up, the glow of her artifact, a Pan's flute, intensified echoing her mood. “Doctor Franco has done nothing but care and protect you and Morgan since you became Guardians. It scares me to see that a simple comment from an old, bitter man can cause this reaction on you!”

  “ Val...” a man beside her with a long beard reached out to touch her, but the girl recoiled. Apart from Hitoshi, this was the first name Thomas had heard, and he made the effort to memorize it.

  “It’s exactly what Konrad wanted to do!” Val continued, pointing at the man in the respirator. “I might be the youngest and the least experienced here, but I already know what to expect from Konrad!”

  Thomas needed to make sure that he remembered Konrad’s name, Lacerta's CEO.

  “How dare you!” Konrad said, grasping at the rail on his bed.

  “We all know what to expect from you,” Val said. “We know you want to divide this Council. We know you want to take the Doctor’s place. You’d do anything to return Lacerta to its former glory, but we all know that…”

  “Enough…” the Doctor said, but Val kept yelling at Konrad.

  “...Lacerta is as useless and decrepit as you are!” she screamed.

  “Enough!” the Doctor yelled. He picked up his cane, and the glow coming from it filled the chamber. Val sat down, and Thomas swore that Konrad was about to burst—he was clenching his fists and breathing rapidly, his eyes filled with hatred as he glared at Val.

  “I will not allow this Council to slip into chaos!” the Doctor said forcefully. “Now more than ever we need to stand united.” He looked at Val, and she bit her lip. “The time of Concord approaches again, and we have a Cypher to protect and guide, or we risk losing the Book.”

  Most of the Council members nodded in agreement, but Konrad kept his hatred-filled gaze fixed on Val.

  “I propose a motion,” the Doctor said as he turned to Thomas. “For Guardians Inc. to ensure the safety and protection, not only of Thomas Byrne, but also of Morgan Byrne, by any means necessary and with all the assets at our disposal. Effective immediately and secured by the power of my office.”

  “Second,” Val said immediately.

  “A vote then,” the Doctor said. The little, bluish flames at the center of the table rose higher, and one by one they turned white as the Council members voted. Only three remained blue, including the one from Lacerta.

  “Twenty-seven yays, zero nays, three abstentions,” the blond man from Forseti called aloud, his own flame was still blue. “The motion carries.”

  The Doctor turned to Thomas. “I hope this vote can ease your mind a little bit, Thomas,” he said with a faint smile.

  “Yes,” Thomas said, “thank you.” He walked up to the edge of the table and looked at the Council members, holding his eyes at Val. “Thank you all,” he said. Val returned a smile as she nodded.

  “And now I’ll delineate the plan to keep Morgan Byrne from following us.” The Doctor sat down on his chair. “Thomas, I believe you have to prepare for our trip.”

  Thomas approached the Doctor’s chair; he was already feeling guilty for what he had told him just minutes before.

  “I know,” the Doctor said as if he could still read his mind. “Don’t worry.” He placed his hand on Thomas’s shoulder. “I’ll see you in a little bit.”

  Thomas entered the corridor that led to the Mansion. As the door to the Council chamber closed behind him, he couldn’t suppress knowing that he had just seen a darker side of Guardians Inc. he didn’t know existed, and the feeling of dread that realization gave him.

  Special Preparations

  “How'd it go?” Tony asked as he chewed on a piece of pizza.

  “It was interesting,” Thomas said. He still hadn't digested what he had learned from the meeting at the Council chamber. As soon as he had returned with Bolswaithe, the butler had explained that he couldn't talk too much about what he had seen until the Doctor gave him permission.

  Even with his team.

  “That's it?” Elise asked him. “Interesting? You just met the heads of Guardians Inc. and that's all you have to say?”

  “What else do you want me to say?” Thomas reached for a slice of pizza. Even with access to all the places in the world and all the different pizzerias at Tony's disposal, he still went to a little hole-in-the-wall Italian restaurant two blocks away from Central Park in Manhattan. The thin, Brooklyn-style pizza was Tony's comfort food.

  “Those people are responsible in some way for more than a third of all labor in the world.” Elise seemed to be really amazed at Thomas’s nonchalance. “There are more people working in some ways for Guardians Inc. than citizens in many countries, and the Council members you just met control the holding companies that control the companies and businesses that employ that workforce.”

  “Okay,” Thomas said, taking a bite. “So it’s like a pyramid, and the Council members are at the top, right?” He sat beside Tony. Elise gave him that disbelieving look, the one that said, Are you kidding, dumb, or just plain ignorant? He bit down on the pizza, trying to suppress a laugh.

  “You're kidding, right?” she finally said, grabbing a slice. “You know you just met the most powerful people on the planet.”

  “I didn't ‘meet them,’ Elise,” he said. “It was more like a show and tell. I just stood there and they all just saw me in the flesh. I felt like a Sunday School project. It was also very confusing, I was just dropped there in the middle of a group of people I had never seen before.”

  “How many were there?” Elise asked. “Did they all show up?”

  Thomas looked at Bolswaithe who nodded. “If you don't know...” Thomas said, savoring the moment. This was probably the first time he knew more about the company than her. “You probably don't need to know at your clearance level. I'm sorry.”

  Tony couldn’t keep from laughing, but Elise remained silent. She was always keen on keeping to regulations, so she wouldn’t ask Thomas to break one.

  “Did you ask about going with the Namtarii?” she asked instead.

  “We didn’t ask them,” Doctor Franco said as he entered the room. “We told them what we were going to do.”

  “That was a quick meeting, Doctor,” Elise said.

  “There wasn't much to discuss after Thomas left,” the Doctor answered, winking at Thomas. “We need to go with the Namtarii, and they agreed.”

  “I still think that's crazy!” Tony yelled.

  “We have less signs than Morgan's team,” the Doctor said calmly. “Hoormel Kian has made sure that every Clan knows about what happened in Ethipothala and the Halls of Remembrance with Mar-Safi, Pillar activity has increased, and on top of that we have reports of Wraith incursions around the world. The truth is that we are getting our backsides kicked,” he said. “We need to come back, and we need to do it soon.”

  “If we go I'm taking Bianca's sword,” Tony said, clenching his fist.

  “I'll decide who goes,” the Doctor told him and then slammed his fist on the desk. “One more thought like that and I'll relieve you, Mr. Della Francesca!” he said. “Now go and wait for orders. Thomas and Bolswaithe…wait here a second.”

  They all turned toward the door. Tony almost slammed the door, Henri followed him as silent as ever, and Elise looked back as if trying to apologize for Tony.

  “Prepare the door to the Namtarii's Keep, Bolswaithe. Let the custodians know we are coming, and bring the Graangu Tusks from the Twilight Vault,” the Doctor said once the others had left. “Also, tell Jean Luc, Charles, and Vincent that they'll be coming with us to the Keep.”

  “Yes, sir,” Bolswaithe said. He walked out, leaving Thomas alone with the Doctor.

  “Tony means well, Doctor,” Thomas said as the Doctor sat down o
n his desk. “He's just worried.”

  “And angry, I know.” The Doctor sighed. “But I don't think he's fit for this mission.”

  “Why not?” Thomas asked. If they were really going to visit the Namtarii, he certainly wanted Tony by his side.

  “There were sixty original Namtarii,” the Doctor said. “We've killed forty-four, and seventeen of those have died by a Della Francesca's hand.”

  “Tony has killed that many?” Thomas asked in disbelief.

  “His family, but he hasn’t killed one…yet. That’s actually some of the pressure I read in his mind…he wants to prove himself in front of his family,” the Doctor said. “The Della Francesca have a special link to the Namtarii, a vendetta.”

  “Vendetta means revenge, doesn't it?” Thomas sat down on the other side of the desk as the Doctor nodded. “What did the Namtarii do to his family?”

  “I think I better let Tony explain that to you. Suffice to say that fulfilling the vendetta is a driving force among the Della Francesca,” the Doctor said.

  “So you think he'll try to kill them as soon as he sees them?”

  “Exactly, and Bolswaithe told me what the Dealmaker said about Tony,” the Doctor said. “He has a chip on his shoulder.”

  Thomas thought for a moment. Maybe Tony would flip out once they were with the Namtarii and would try to kill one of them to gain some honor for himself. He had been hotheaded when he met him, but had become less so as they worked together. In other circumstances Thomas trusted him completely, but this vendetta business seemed serious. Now that he knew Tony’s family had a vendetta against the Namtarii, he had doubts about taking Tony with them.

  “I'll give the order for him to stay if you want,” the Doctor said. “You relationship with him won't be affected, Thomas. I'll be the bad guy.”

  “No, Doctor,” Thomas said, making up his mind. “I’ll talk with him, and I’m sure we'll be able to take him. I trust Tony.”