Dawn Arrives

by Michael Anderle

  Whatever the answer, some of these bodies were going to get past him so she needed to be ready. The fate of those crates, and therefore the Earth as they were trying to leave it, was at stake.

  Yuko drew her sword and adjusted her grip deliberately.

  The first few soldiers came into range of Barnabas’ pistols. Pop. Pop. Pop-pop. Pop. Pop pop….

  Heads exploded one by one. Barnabas picked them off almost as gracefully as Sabine would have.

  His finger squeezed the trigger, moved the pistol a tiny amount, and squeezed again.

  It was a symphony of destruction.

  The soldiers kept coming, wave after wave. Barnabas was dancing, never in the same spot, as the soldiers fired toward him.

  Twice she had to move to avoid bullets heading in her direction. Once she saw his coat flip hard in the wind, a bullet having certainly plowed through it.

  The chopper was nearly upon them, and Yuko glanced in Eve’s direction. She was fitting her missile launcher onto her arm, but wasn’t ready yet.

  Yuko drew her Jean Dukes and waited for it to come into range. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to her, Barnabas already had it in range and had fired five shots strategically into it.

  BOOM! The fuel tank erupted in fire, which rained down metal and destruction and rotating blades that flew across the airfield and sliced through anything in their path...which happened to include a number of the Chinese soldiers.

  Yuko lowered her weapon and shrugged. Worked for her.

  Meanwhile, since Barnabas had taken time out to drop the chopper, several men were nearly upon him. She started to move forward, but then she saw the glint of his blade as he deftly removed it from the sheath in his back.

  He wasn’t a target of the other guns, at least at the moment.

  What followed was almost a dance, with the razor edge of his sword glinting beautifully in the sun and then being dulled by the red of the blood as it cut through its victims.

  Blood splattered one way, then the other, falling in an ornate pattern on the asphalt around him as he stepped and turned and whipped the sword around, taking out anything that came within arms’ length of him.

  Yuko watched in awe. Michael and Akio weren’t the only ones who were able to dial the level of carnage to eleven.

  At one point he even pulled his Jean Dukes again and took out two soldiers who were making a break around the side of the hangar toward the crates.

  It took several minutes for the carnage to end, but when it was done nothing moved.

  Barnabas waited, immobile, casting a silent shadow over a couple of fallen bodies.

  For effect? she wondered. Or was he catching his breath?

  Nope. He was enjoying the moment!

  He lifted his gaze to meet hers…and smiled.

  That was the look of a man who was really enjoying his job.

  Now she understood why he had sent the others away.

  He hadn’t wanted to share the fun.

  —

  Eve and Yuko strode purposefully back into the hangar and swept Sabine with them as they headed for the crates.

  “Ok, Geek-boy, we need to wrap this operation up,” Yuko announced.

  Giles poked his head up from behind the crates, his glasses askew and his hair disheveled.

  “You ok?” she asked, frowning at his strange appearance.

  “Erm, yes, yes. All ok. Nearly ended up getting killed, but apart from that…”

  Yuko glanced around, confusion evident in her voice. “But no one got in.”

  “There were guns firing out there!” he protested, pointing toward the open doors.

  Yuko rolled her eyes. “Let’s get you back to the ship,” she suggested. She and Sabine started packing the pieces back into the crates. “We can do all this up there.” She glanced at him once more. “And perhaps we need to let you blow a little steam off; get this fight out of your system.”

  Giles scrambled to his feet and straightened his glasses. “Righty ho. If you think that’s best then,” he said, hastily joining them in returning the pieces to the crates.

  Eve had an idea. “I can bring the box in here,” she told Yuko. She headed over to the hangar doors, and after a little struggling managed to get them to open wide enough.

  Meanwhile, Barnabas had cleaned his sword and composed himself. “May I be of assistance?” he asked Eve as he strode into the hangar.

  Eve shook her head and gave him her best grin. She glanced at the array of bodies he’d left behind. “I think you’ve done more than a day’s work already.”

  Barnabas smiled and bowed slightly. Then, without another word he headed back into the hangar to join the others.

  Giles looked up from his trinkets to see Barnabas approaching, as cool as anything, and then he saw the carnage outside. “My goodness, it’s like Devon all over again!” he exclaimed, slightly horrified.

  Yuko frowned. “Devon? England?”

  Giles shook his head, his eyes fixed on the scene just outside the hangar doors. “No, Devon-you-really-don’t-wanna-know.”

  Yuko nodded once. “Right then,” she said turning to Barnabas. “Nice job out there. You handled that...well,” she paused, then finished wryly, “single-handedly.”

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Abandoned Airfield, One Hundred Fifty Miles North-Northwest of Chengdu

  Eve, Yuko, and Sabine were busy doing the heavy lifting and getting the crates into the black box.

  Barnabas was back to being characteristically reserved and well-mannered.

  Giles, meanwhile, was being characteristically vacant, watching nothing as the ladies did all the work.

  “Walk with me,” Barnabas said quietly to Giles, and headed into a darkened corner of the hangar.

  Giles followed obediently. “’Sup, BB?” he jested, trying to lighten the mood.

  Barnabas glanced back at him disapprovingly.

  “Ok. Sorry, erm…Barnabas,” he corrected himself.

  Satisfied, Barnabas started climbing the stairs that led to a viewing gallery. Giles looked at the structure nervously. “You think that’s safe?”

  “Probably not,” Barnabas retorted, continuing to climb.

  Feeling like he had no choice, Giles cautiously placed his foot on the first step and grabbed the handrail. It felt stable enough, so he followed Barnabas.

  When they arrived at the top, Giles was breathing a little harder than usual although Barnabas showed no signs of exertion. He looked out over the hangar floor, watching the girls load the alien materials.

  “There are some things you might not yet appreciate about Michael,” Barnabas started.

  Giles shoved his hands in his pockets. He saw where this was going. This was a conversation to formally warn him to behave around the ArchAngel, just as Lance had taken him aside about his behavior around the Empress.

  “I think you’re misunderstanding me,” Barnabas said, reading his thoughts. “This is related, but more about how honor is important to the man. He doesn’t tolerate insubordination, lack of respect, or stealing.”

  Giles swallowed hard as Barnabas focused his attention directly on him like an interrogation lamp. “I, er...don’t know what you m—” he started to say.

  Barnabas lowered his eyes to Giles’ jacket. “In your pocket,” he said simply.

  Giles quickly reached in and pulled out the shiny metallic object that had captivated him before the disturbance and ensuing slaughter.

  “Um…” He looked at the object and at Barnabas. “I can explain,” Giles started again.

  Barnabas’ gaze stopped him. “No need. I don’t care. What I do care about is the dishonesty, and what Michael will do to you when he finds out. And notice I say when...not if. In case you haven’t already figured it out, you’re surrounded by mind-reading, Etheric-bending beings now. You have to be cleaner than clean.”

  Giles hung his head solemnly. “I’m sorry. I was just going to keep it separate so I could research it some more when I got back to the ship.
If it was stowed away in the crates I’d have to get access and the paperwork…”

  His voice tapered off.

  Barnabas’ eyes softened. “I understand, but you need to come clean. Tell someone. Report it. Log it. You’re part of a team now, and if you want your team to trust you, you have to stop pulling this kind of shit.”

  He sighed and rested his hands on the railings, noticing that the structure was rather more precarious than he had originally thought. “You’re not a kid anymore, Giles. You’re going to need to start acting more responsibly if you’re going to continue to operate within the Federation. Tough times are coming. Big changes…”

  Giles felt a shudder run through his spine. It was as if Barnabas were being prophetic. “Ok. I’ll let Eve know now…” he promised, turning to leave.

  “I’d take that other staircase down,” Barnabas suggested, nodding in the other direction from where they had come up.

  Giles, already on edge, didn’t question it. No way was he going to take a chance twenty feet above the concrete floor.

  He turned carefully and walked gingerly but as fast as he dared to the other staircase and headed straight down to Eve, who was lifting one of the crates.

  Barnabas shook his head, chuckling inwardly to himself as he watched the man walk away from him.

  “Kids,” he muttered, shaking his head.

  After a moment he jumped over the rail, barely flexing his knees as he landed twenty feet below, and headed outside again.

  He could hope someone would be stupid enough to attack once more. Unlikely, but he could hope.

  QBS ArchAngel II, Orbiting Earth

  Bethany Anne was walking with Michael as they headed out of her suite and toward the docks. “A real ass-kicking date, is it?”

  “I believe it might be,” Michael agreed. “We know where the last person is who worked against Akio, Yuko, and Eve to get the Kurtherian parts. He set up a hit against the location they were stored in.”

  “That stuff that was left over when I killed their leader?” Bethany Anne asked.

  “The very same,” Michael agreed. “We have a location and a name—Kuro,” Michael answered. “I’m not expecting it to take too long.”

  “Why?” Bethany Anne asked, her eyes narrowing.

  “The last two individuals Akio and I went against were pretty low-grade,” Michael answered as the two of them headed down another hallway. He looked around. “Where are John and Eric and the rest?”

  “I told them to go watch over Bobcat, William and Marcus on a beer run. I don’t think we need backup, do you?” She grinned mischievously.

  Michael shrugged. Whatever makes her happy.

  Five minutes later the duo were heading down toward the planet in the Shinigami.

  “Queen?” Shinigami’s voice sounded, sounding so much like her own that Michael did a double-take. They were lounging on the soft couches on the bridge.

  “Yes?”

  “The Bitches and Team BMW are leaving as well. Should I let them know where we will be?”

  “Nope.” Bethany Anne shook her head. “Those guys need some down time. I’ll find something for them to do later.”

  —

  Ten minutes later, or ten seconds—if Michael went by how it had felt—the two of them were hovering a mile above the location of the final straggler from their last operation. Michael had Shinigami crack the door and switched to Myst, then grabbed Bethany Anne and swept down through the night toward the last of the group who needed a healthy dose of killing.

  This is beautiful, she commented. I forgot what flying with you was like.

  Almost two hundred years, he replied wistfully. And she forgets the fun times?

  Bethany Anne chuckled. You know I will punch you for that, right?

  Michael chose to not answer as he swept around the two-story building. It looked like it was maybe five thousand square feet aboveground, and if this person was like his partners it would have some wonderful dungeon areas and underground exits as well.

  He found an opening by the front door and solidified the two of them inside the first receiving room. It had beautiful grey stone flooring, and elegant walls done in a greyish green with Japanese paintings adorning them.

  No doubt priceless.

  Michael and Bethany Anne looked around. “Good thing Sabine isn’t here,” he murmured. When Bethany Anne raised an eyebrow he explained, “A woman we saved over in France. She has become very good with her guns—preternaturally so.” He pointed to the paintings. “But she has a fetish for destroying artwork.”

  “Why hello!” a man’s voice said as the speakers above them crackled to life. “I was not expecting you, but this does not surprise me.”

  Keep him talking, Michael sent to Bethany Anne.

  Seriously? She pulled out her Jean Dukes when Michael disappeared. I’ve got to listen to Adam Asswipe here?

  Just encourage his monologue, Michael sent. We might get done with this quickly!

  Fine! Bethany Anne smiled at the camera she found up in a corner.

  She waved her gun barrel in a circle. “I don’t suppose you would provide me with a description of all of this shit between me and you, would you?”

  The dry voice came back, “Normally I wouldn’t. However,” his voice rose just a bit, “you are now in my little shop of horrors. I’ve been paying attention to you paranormals for years, and whether you are a vampire or a werewolf, I’ve built just the tool I need to kill you dead.”

  He coughed, then continued. “Since I am giving out hints, tell me…are you a vampire or a werewolf?”

  Bethany Anne’s eyes glowed red and her fangs descended, “Don’t you dare get the species wrong!”

  “Oh, very good,” he replied. “I see your much-vaunted lover has left you.”

  “He’s annoying like that.” Bethany Anne sighed heavily, “If one of us, you or I, is about to die soon…”

  “You,” his voice came back, cocky.

  “Fine.” Bethany Anne worked hard to stop her eyes from rolling out of her head. “Me, then. What am I facing?”

  “Only the best that my brains and money could buy to protect me from abnormals such as yourself. I’ve spent the last twelve years planning in case one of your kind came for me.”

  He paused for a moment. “I am, I assure you, prepared.”

  I doubt it, Bethany Anne thought. And if Michael doesn’t kill this dick soon, I’m going to have to…

  Then she smiled. “Oh, hey, Michael? If you can hear me, I’m getting randy again, but I’d hate to have to wait for you to kill this asshole. It might cause me to—

  A scream of pain, then the sound of gurgling blood. That was tragic, Bethany Anne thought as she checked her fingers. At that moment, the doors opened and screaming men came into her room.

  Seven seconds and two bullets to the chest armor later, there were twelve dead security guards lying in their own blood around her.

  Michael’s voice was soft and sexy as he spoke over the security system. “He might have wanted to get his security system checked. I can’t find anyone else alive in the building at this time. Does blood make you feel cold, or hot?”

  Bethany Anne licked her lips, looking dead into the camera under the assumption that Michael was in the control room. The dead asswipe they had come here to kill was probably on the floor. She grinned. “Hot, Mr. Vampire Man. Very, very HOT.”

  Half a second later Michael reappeared right in front of Bethany Anne, causing her to catch her breath as he swooped her into his Myst and went to the top of the building.

  There was a very fine small apartment up there, and he happened to know the owner wasn’t going to need it.

  Ever.

  Yokohama, Japan, Yokohamakeon (Park)

  The Pods landed in the park. The same park that had been the landing spot of their black box numerous times over the last several weeks.

  Giles bounded out, looking around him at the sunshine, sky, and gardens.

  “Thi
s... This is amaziiiiiing!” he cooed. “Is this really what Earth was like when Mom and Dad were here?”

  Eve had already stepped out after him. “Pretty much. At least similar. Of course, they spent their time on the other side of the planet about a third of the way around from here, but that’s not really habitable now.”

  Giles was in awe.

  Yuko stepped out of her Pod. “So, what do you want to see?”

  Giles suddenly stopped turning and fixed his eyes on Yuko. “I’m a space archeologist. Anything. Everything.” His face exploded into the brightest smile Yuko had seen in a long time.

  She couldn’t help but be amused as she subconsciously mirrored his expression. “Don’t we need to go find some old places with ruins and stuff?” she teased.

  “Yuko,” Giles said, suddenly very serious. “I come from a society that has thousands of planets light years apart. Space archeology is a vibrant living science. Once upon a time it meant studying ruins, but now it’s all about the study of civilizations, alive or dead. So much about the past foretells the present and the future. This city is a living, breathing testimony to that. Show me anything, and I will make a pretty good guess as to its past and its future.”

  Eve asked, “Seriously? You have that much data in your brain?” She glanced at Yuko for confirmation that this could possibly be true.

  Giles gave his cocky, youthful grin. “You’d be surprised. Getting through higher education is pretty intense these days, especially the interplanetary courses like Space Arch and Anth.”

  Yuko took a deep breath, not sure if she believed everything he was selling, and tried again. “So, what should we show you then? The Senate?”

  Giles lifted his arms upwards and then dropped them. “Sure. Let’s take a look.”

  Yuko started fiddling with her handheld device, sending messages.

  “What are you doing?” Giles asked, peering over her shoulder.

  “Just making sure we get access when we get there.”

  “Huh?”

  “Oh yeah,” she said casually, mocking his cocky intonation. “I’m the Diplomat. Friends in high places. We’ll be getting the behind-the-scenes tour.” She grinned.

  “Well…” Giles coughed in his throat. “You’re kinda handy to have around,” he admitted.