“Look” says Znuul to him in a softer tone. “It’s expensive, nasty business making people disappear. Just be a good neighbor and keep this under wraps okay? And that goes double for your trouble-maker.”
“She won’t say a thing. Listen, I…”
Greg closing the car door cuts lumberjack off. Greg follows by making a signal for us to get going with some urgency. I turn to get back behind the wheel. Znuul does the same.
I close the door and put on my seatbelt. Mark the mad lumberjack is now standing off to the side, his good eye looking a little embarrassed. We file out to polite waves from our now friend and what appears to be a, “go get ‘em.”
Chapter 87
We were able to leave the neighborhood right before the police arrive. Daisy obviously reacted poorly to my pulling a weapon on her husband. Traffic was blissfully unproblematic along the Hardy Toll road. We exited and made our way to the little corner of industrial bliss that was Maldgorath’s landing area. We pull into the lot of the building across the street and maneuver behind the building next to the dumpsters.
“Pile out and let’s get organized,” I say
Everyone in Znuul’s vehicle is doing the same.
Once we are all outside, Znuul looks over at Arix, “Confirm he’s here.”
With a nod, Arix breaks out the crystal and a map. Muttering arcane phrases he dowses for Maldgorath’s location over a map. “Not here,” Arix says. “About six miles north”
“Dinner,” says Greg.
We all agree that’s the most likely reason for his movement, after all even a reaper of souls likes the feeling of a full belly.
“We need a lookout to see when they are coming,” offers Karen.
Sheyliene I think is the most obvious candidate; she can get small and not be seen. Plus she can fly up to the roof top to take a good perch. With very little encouragement she’s flitting up to the roof after being fitted with a communication device.
The rest of us find a place to take in the time.
Time passes and doubt fills my mind. What’s to say he’s coming back here of all places? What if he has an apartment we didn’t know of? What if he just leaves? Greg is constantly stretching – I think he’s sharing in the nervousness. Znuul, Karen and Vets seem calm. Vets is sharpening her sword. Znuul is just sitting back to the wall being very, very still – occasionally sharing a word with either Karen or Vets.
And Sil is just literally sprawled out on the pavement on her back as if the pavement was actually a comfy place to take a nice rest.
Me, I’m doing my best impersonation of a small child in the back of car, pestering Arix with numerous, “Is he moving yets?”
Taking a cue from Vets I unsheathe Yayne and lay it across my lap. That gets Hjuul to move away, he doesn’t trust the sword. The sword never requires sharpening due to its enchanted nature, but a nice cleaning cloth never hurts. I grasp the hilt and try to impart that we have a big baddie to cut down.
I think I feel a response from it. I concentrate on a mental image of Maldgorath and then try to envision Yayne and I decapitating him.
“Yes,” is what I hear in my mind – clear as a bell. I smile and say aloud, “soon enough.”
Znuul’s voice breaks our bonding. “That sword best not be planning to take my head.”
A chill runs through me and I realize its Yayne warning me of clear and present danger. I look around and come to the realization its warning me of Znuul. “You shouldn’t have announced yourself,” I say to the big guy.
I can feel Yanye’s urging. The blade takes a light flickering glow. I look over at Znuul who appears to find all this very amusing.
“Tell your hungry sword, it will have its fill soon enough. Just not of me.”
In response Yayne flashes to its full on white glow. My hand on the hilt, I feel the thrum of its power through our connection. “Danger close,” it warns me, “Strike.”
How do you calm down an enchanted holy blade? Znuul is not upset or off put even a little. He must trust me or something. Not wanting to say it aloud and offend my friend I concentrate on a response that hopefully it will understand. “The enemy of my enemy.”
The glow disappears as fast as it started. It understands. It’s ready.
“I see you’re building your bond with the sword” says Chris.
“Or it is with me.”
After a few moments of awkward silence Arix’s dead pan voice gets all our attention. “Our prey is moving towards us. Oh joy that we may face him again.”
I hit the button on my comm and give Shey a head’s up. She acknowledges.
The wave of nervous energy is palpable now. I re-sheath Yayne. Vets is stretching . Greg is bouncing and shadow boxing. Karen’s eyes are closed and she is reviewing spells at the ready. Arix just looks generally unhappy. Chris is praying.
Znuul and Sil haven’t moved.
“You two sure seem relaxed,” I throw out there as much for my sake as a release of tension as anything.
“We’re not killing anything yet,” is Znuul’s reply.
Sil sits up from her sprawl and shoots me a look that is seriously evil. “Nothing like a nice rest before the slaughter,” she says turning to Znuul, who chuckles back at her. “Well maybe something…”
While the statement was certainly flirtatious the look in her eyes wasn’t. Our very own hell bitch is ready to raise some hell.
Shey’s voice breaks over the comm, “Headlights half a mile.”
That gets Znuul standing. He strides over to Greg and they go through some ritual push hands type thing ending in a chest bump. East meets west indeed.
Shey’s voice breaks the comm again, “It’s him. He’s gone inside.”
“Get down here,” I instruct.
After a few short moments what could pass as a large insect flutters our way and in a silvery cascade expands to Sheyliene. “Ready boss,” she says to me in a whispered tone.
Znuul looks over at Karen. “Okay, ground team move out, set the shape charge and await our go.” Karen flashes a gigantic smile to Znuul. “Come on ground team, let’s get it moving.”
With that Greg, Chris, Hjuul, Vets, and Pffif take off across the street, following Karen, weapons and duffle bags in tow.
“Arix get the communicator device ready,” I say quietly. He nods, pulling the coin like device from a pocket and steps forward.
Sil checks her assault rifle and clips to pass the time. Shey pulls out her bow and stretches the string. Znuul does nothing.
“Okay flying team, let’s get wings out” says Znuul.
With that he begins his transformation to “normal” as does Sil. Sheyliene just wiggles her already out wings.
“Ground team in place. Placing shape charge,” comes Karen’s quiet report.
Znuul, now his more natural self, presses the comm button on his throat. “Advise when ready.”
“Oh, this is going to be good,” Znuul tells me with the biggest grin. I do think my brother in revenge is having a good time and looking forward to better ones. Me, I’m thinking the butterfly cocoons in my stomach have started to hatch.
“Charge set,” comes Karen’s voice crackling over the comm. “Ready for entry.”
“You ready, brother” Znuul asks me. He must have heard the damn butterflies fluttering in my stomach.
“You betcha” is the only acceptable response. “Arix, let’s make a phone call.”
Chapter 88
Arix holds out the token. I tell him to hold up, which gets me strange looks from everyone but Arix. “Where was he last?”
“As far as this realm goes, I believe Tehran” Arix casually affords.
“Good, dial him up.”
Arix strokes the coins and whispers the appropriate words to establish a connection. Waiting follows. Seconds feel like minutes. Finally, Maldgorath’s condescending tone fills the air. “Arthur MacInerny, it has been so long. Didn’t we speak just a week or so ago?”
“You betcha!” I s
ay with as much enthusiasm as possible. “You know there’s nothing worse than sneaking your way past border guards, including paying for all those bribes just to find out the friend you want to see isn’t home.”
That gets a laugh. “Oh my, you didn’t sneak into China did you? I can come back if you like.”
“I would like that. Except I snuck into Iran. Damn information isn’t worth what you pay for it anymore, know what I mean?” I figure I might as well get him thinking there’s a leak in his network. Znuul picks that up immediately and gives me a thumbs up.
After that he looks at Shey and Sil and makes the gesture to take to the air. Then just like that they all take off. I hear Z through the earpiece, “Team flight in the air. Be ready to enter on my mark.”
After a short pause driven by the realization I am on his trail, the expected diffusive retort ensues. “Good information is so hard to find.”
“Yes it is. So where are you now? Want to come back to Tehran? I’ll buy the coffee.”
That gets another round of dismissive laughter. “Arthur, Arthur… haven’t you figured it out yet? We will meet at the place and time of my choosing. Your pluck is admirable though.”
“So why not choose to come to Tehran. It’s warm and dry. In the day anyways.”
My earpiece fires up again with Znuul’s voice. “Air team in place. Enter at will ground team, we will follow.”
That makes me smile.
“Tell you what Arthur, how about this. You come to San Francisco. I’ll stay here for another few hours. Drinks on me.”
What a dick. “Hey can I borrow your dragon? I may have an issue getting there in a couple of hours.”
“Ground team going in,” comes Karen’s voice through my earpiece.
“Sorry Arthur, I don’t share Korlixi. But I could send her to attend to you. Her silver fire does leave quite a mark.”
Boom! The sound of the shape charge carries to me.
“Why send a dragon to do a Garrigin’s work?” I say hoping to keep him engaged.
“Arthur, are you really in Tehran?” Somebody’s heard a wall blow in.
“Air team entering,” comes Znuul’s voice over the earpiece.
“Screw you Maldy, I’m hating this fucking Persian dust-bowl almost as much as I hate you.”
This gets another laugh, but not one of the dismissive ones. “Well then, I have other guests. Hate to make this a short conversation, but I think I must greet them.”
“What?” I shout hoping to keep him engaged. “I want to play too!”
But he’s cut the connection.
I look over at Arix who is looking at me pensively.
“Get that look off your face Arix. I’m ready to see what a Dzemond battle mage can really do. Are you ready to impress?”
Arix’s face changes from a pensive frown to a cocky smile. “This should be quite fun Master Arthur. Let us bring some death and devastation, shall we?”
Chapter 89
Karen signals for her team to stand back and to the side, then presses the button at her throat, “Ground team going in.” She points at Vets who is holding a small black box. Vets pushes the switch on the box and with a “boom” a seven by seven hole appears in the wall.
Vets drops the detonator and takes the assault rifle from her shoulder. Hjuul’s hackles are up and he’s ready to go.
Silver wand by her side, Karen tells her team, “Go!”
All 400 plus pounds of Hjuul tear inside followed by Greg in a blur, sword in hand.
Once inside they get their first view of the field of combat – warehouse with two aisles of shelves and a central office. Karen sees that Hjuul has already dispatched one adversary – a human, given the red blood and gore. Greg is nowhere to be seen, but a decapitated human body indicates his presence.
Then it starts. A Dzemond battle spider ripples into existence. It is greeted by three precise shots to its face area from Vets' rifle and falls over turning into ectoplasm. A werewolf like Hjulak appears next and receives the same greeting from with same effect.
The door to the office opens and out strides none other than Maldgorath himself, all pretense of humanity missing except for the dress shirt and dress pants. He smiles at Karen and she trains her wand on him.
The ceiling crashes in followed by two winged creatures and a small blond fairy.
Distracted, Maldgorath doesn’t even see the bolt of electricity that flings him across the warehouse floor.
~
Znuul hears Karen’s confirmation of entry and signals to Sil and Shey to be ready. The blast comes shortly after. They look at him anxious for the signal to dive through the fiberglass skylights.
He touches the comm and says, “Air team entering,” and points down. Znuul and Sil fold up their wings tight and let go of the magic levitation that is the true origin of their flight. Nothing holding them in air, they crash through the skylights falling to the ground below with Sheyliene following behind.
Once inside the building they both unfurl their wings and light to the ground. Sil has her assault rifle aimed. Znuul, lands on knee.
They see Maldgorath careening back from a lightning strike and skidding across the floor.
At the same time another adversary appears, followed by another. Assault weapon fire follows with more foes falling before they can even stand. Another creature ripples into existence.
Maldgorath unphased, rolls over and springs 15 feet through the air, careens off the wall, lands and places his palm down on the ground. A blue circle lights up and the last creature that appears dissolves before it can be put down.
Karen takes bead on Maldgorath with her wand and with a, “Tzzt!” unleashes another bolt - this time the bolt winks out to nothing at the perimeter of the circle. Maldgorath smiles at her.
“I got this,” comes Greg’s voice over her shoulder.
“No Greg!” shouts Karen, turning rapidly.
But he is already gone.
~
I grab the AA-12 and look over to Arix, “Let’s go”
We take off at a jog around the building and look across the street at our destination. A man, or something that appears to be a man is standing outside the front door with a shotgun in hand. He spies us running towards him and takes to a knee. Obviously he’s had some training. His shotgun rings out and I sprawl.
Arix doesn’t. He does stop though and begins a casting. The man shoots another volley and I see the shot winking off Arix’s shielding. Arix whispers a word and the shooter is engulfed in a ring of fire that closes in on him. Screams follow.
I pick myself up and look over to Arix who holds his hands out proclaiming, “Hi-et!” A wave of force crashes into the front doors tearing them from the jambs and crumpling the metal siding around them.
That show of force is met by the sound of automatic gun fire. I duck back down for cover and try to move to the side so not to be in the direct line of fire. I feel the tell tale tingle of a ward being cast on me and dive for cover in front of the sign that proclaims “M-Biologicals.” The plastic of the sign is soon perforated by gun fire.
Arix is in the midst of another casting, his hands twisting about. The bullets bounce off his wards, then don’t. Arix is hit twice, causing him to steps back but continues his casting. Reaching the end of the spell his hands open toward the door and a small tornado appears and rushes towards the open door. More shots ring out and Arix recoils from the impacts.
The tornado enters the building swiftly and I can only imagine the destruction and confusion it’s creating. I shoulder the AA-12 and pull my pistols. Looking over at Arix, I can see he’s hurt, basically still in the fight – all the same I send a healing wave his way.
He nods to me to go. I do.
~
Step by heavy step, Greg plods across the warehouse toward Maldgorath. His sword is ready for strike and he knew this whole conflict will be over in just a few moments. He pulls his sword high and is now but a few steps from his target.
; Then something changes. The world becomes very light. He hears Karen scream, “No Greg!” Then his target turns to regard him. He brings the sword down and Maldgorath deflects the blow with his forearm. The sound of metal on metal tells Greg he’s wearing a bracer under the dress shirt. Maldgorath steps in towards Greg and the hand that deflected the blow grabs Greg’s lead sword arm.
Greg looks into the lion like eyes of Maldgorath the Collector. “Damn” he thinks to himself as Maldgorath slams his other hand into Greg’s head.
~
Znuul watches Greg crumple into a motionless ball. Maldgorath isn’t even aware that he is there, his focus is 100% on Karen. With a wicked grin Maldgorath takes a step back and kicks Greg in the stomach sending him though the air landing near Karen. Znuul notes the lack of Greg’s response and a moment of concern passes through him.
“I’ve been waiting for the Sword to pay a visit Red Witch” Maldgorath says. “Anti-magic field, isn’t it just wonderful,” he says continuing to tease Karen.
Six shots ring out and Maldgorath’s head rocks, black blood dripping down his face. He shakes it off and looks at the source of his pain – Silithes – while his wounds heal at an almost impossible rate. “Where’s your wielder, bitch?” he snarls.
Very slowly Znuul stands from his kneeling position. Maldgorath’s eyes trail over to him and Znuul senses something that makes him very happy – fear. In fact, it makes Znuul smile.
“Anti-magic, eh?” Znuul says loudly. “Luckily, I won’t be requiring any magic to rip your head from your shoulders. Znuul takes a step forward towards the speechless Maldgorath. “And better yet, you can’t summon your little friends while you’re in there.”
Maldgorath panics and frantically jumps out of the anti-magic ring. Like a black bolt of lightning Znuul is upon him. The first blow drops Maldgorath to the ground. Znuul quickly picks Maldgorath up by the tentacles extending from his head and grabs him under his chin and begins trying to break his neck. Maldgorath breaks the hold with a twist and slam of his arms, then takes a step back.
A four foot long silver dragon appears in the air. Znuul pays it no heed.
The Wielder: Sworn Vengeance (The Wielder Series) Page 34