OF WAR Anthology Novels 1-3

by Lisa Beth Darling

  Alena was right, the main building was nearly directly in front of her. It even had a big plaque out front welcoming her to Area 51. Alena pulled up to the front and was torn between leaving Rose in the car and taking her into what was sure to be gruesome sight. Leaving the car running and the air conditioner on, she lifted the mask enough to reveal of Rose’s eyes. “You stay right here with the mask over your eyes. I’m going to lock the doors and go into the building for a minute. Don’t you move. Got it?”

  Rose nodded and pulled the mask back over her eyes.

  Staff in hand and arm over her mouth and nose trying to block the stench that made her eyes water, Alena steeled herself and went into the main building. Just as she predicted it was nothing more than a giant tomb. Dead bodies littered the floor all the way down the hall. The place was filled with flies munching on maggoty flesh. Unable to hold her stomach back, Alena dropped her hand, turned her head and vomited all over some poor soul rotting away in his dress blues. She heaved until her stomach was empty and then she heaved some more.

  Gingerly stepping over dead bodies, she walked up to the reception desk and then behind it, grateful the receptionist wasn’t occupying her customary seat. The desk was an arc seven feet long with four phones, three computers, and a plethora of slotted compartments each neatly labeled in alphabetical order. Alena’s eyes cruised over the labels until she came to; Installation Map and plucked one from the slot. Opening it quickly she found it was a map of Area 51 all nicely marked and labeled. The main surveillance building was at the far end not far from the Bio Weapons Testing Laboratory, the birthplace of Major Falls. Alena would go there and she would see it for herself with her own eyes if it weren’t for two things; she knew what Ares did and that Apollo came back and covered his tracks so it would be for naught. The other reason was Rose. The surveillance headquarters was bound to be bad enough and Alena had to bring her in there but she didn’t have to subject Rose to the Bio Weapons Testing Laboratory just to satisfy her own curiosity. Folding the map, she went back out to the car to find Rose sitting just exactly as she’d left her. “Good girl, sweetie.” Alena dropped it in DRIVE and followed the directions to her goal.

  Driving down the empty road and looking at all of the one-story buildings Alena shuddered. The place was far from warm and inviting; everything about it screamed GET OUT! Passing by one white one-story building after another, each creepier than the next, the shudder grew to an all out shiver until Alena felt she was freezing to death out here under the hot noonday Nevada sun. She swore she could almost hear the echoed screams of innocent beings that had been brought here only to suffer the most horrible of ends in the names of Science and the almighty National Security. She wasn’t the only one who felt that way, looking over to Rose Alena saw her shuddering too, shrinking into her seat as though she were trying to get away from something looming over her. “It’s all right, sweetheart, it’s all right.” Alena soothed as she reached out to run her hand along Rose’s cheek. “We’re here, just a little while longer and we’ll go see Daddy and Raven.”

  Alena brought the SUV to its last stop in front of a plain windowless white box. From here, she could see the single solid door required a keycard for entry but that wouldn’t be a problem. Reaching over the seat she grabbed her staff as she rummaged in one of the bags to come back with the flash drive. Unbuckling Rose she plucked the girl from the seat and exited the vehicle. Pointing the staff at the keycard slot Alena summoned up a burst of air so great the clear skies overhead turned black then she directed it through the staff and at the lock which blew off as it blew apart. “You keep that over your eyes now, just hold onto Mommy.”

  Inside the box, Alena found a guard station with its sole occupant dead at the desk. Beyond it was a door with another keycard lock. Holding Rose tight with one hand she carefully took the lanyard off the guard’s neck then swiped it in the slot. The door buzzed and then unlocked revealing the elevator beyond. Boarding the elevator she saw there were five sub-floors; she pushed for the first sub-floor. The elevator moved down and then doors opened to another plaque telling her what was on the floor. The first read; Administration, Visitor’s Center, Gymnasium. Alena knew she’d find what she wanted on the bottom sub-floor.

  The door to the fifth sub-floor opened and the plaque there read; Holding Area, Examination & Testing, Aeronautics, and finally Bio Weapons Testing. Stepping off the elevator she was presented with another door with another keycard lock and three dead bodies. Alena swiped the card in her hand but it didn’t work. She looked at the bodies on the floor and decided on the one with the birds on his shoulders. She grabbed the lanyard from the neck of one Colonel Steve Austin, deceased, and swiped it. The door buzzed and opened.

  The corridor was empty and running on emergency lights. Her soft footfalls in the flat-soled suede boots whispered and echoed in the silence. Holding Rose and her stomach tight, she passed by offices with big windows, inside she saw computers, control panels, and monitors. She walked until she came to the office marked Bio Weapons. “We’re here,” she whispered to Rose peeking into the window grateful to find the office empty. Inside she settled Rose on the floor. “Boo.”

  Rose took off the mask and looked around at the dark room with its glowing lights then up at her Mother.

  “Doesn’t look like much, does it? I know,” Alena sighed and put Rose into one of the empty chairs as she sat in the other. “But this is what we want. Give me half a second to see if I can figure it out.” Alena looked over the control panel which was clearly marked so any trained monkey could run it. She punched up the monitors and then began running the digital recordings searching backward starting from three weeks ago. The Bio Weapons Lab was very well monitored, every nook and cranny was covered leaving Alena with miles of tape to sort through. “Look away for a minute, sweetie.” Alena turned Rose’s head away from the monitors as the tapes played out the scene in the Bio Weapons lab and she watched the corpses decay in reverse so that their faces seemed to melt back on to their skulls until they came back to life only to die all over again. She ran it in FAST REVERSE mode until all of the occupants of the lab were happy and healthy in the last moments of their lives going about their daily routines in Tyvek suits. “All right, where are you, you bastard?” With all of the monitors on and all of the tape she could get going playing at once she enlisted Rose’s help. “Watch the monitors now, shout out if you see Raven.”

  Rose sat up in the chair and looked from one monitor to another along with her Mother. They looked at footage of stairwells, coffee break rooms, bathrooms, labs, and more until Rose called out, “Ray-Ray! Ray-Ray!”

  “Where?”

  “Ray-Ray!” Rose jumped up and down in the chair as she pointed at the monitor.

  Alena leaned in close next to her to watch Raven walk down a corridor with a machine gun in his hand and a small army behind him. Looking at the time stamp she punched it into the control panel so that all of the monitors ran at the same point in time and she could follow him around the Bio Weapons Lab. When he stormed into the actual lab with gun in hand, Alena made Rose look away again. She forgot the sound and suddenly gun shots rang out from the speakers, people screamed, they ran for their lives only be cut down by rampaging bullets. Raven’s troops didn’t hesitate to shoot anyone who caught their eye. Raven walked right up to a wall, waved his hand, and the wall parted revealing a cold storage area and thousands upon thousands of vials. He walked right in, plucked four vials from the cold storage and smashed one on the ground exposing everyone to Major Falls. He put the other three in his pocket, told his troops to shoot the windows and all of the glass. They did, they didn’t even question him. As they exited, Raven made sure door was blocked open doing several of them himself.

  “Got’cha, you bastard,” Alena exclaimed in victory as she tightened the angle in on one door to reveal a very clear shiny golden handprint. He left them on every door he touched on his way out. She jammed the flash drive into the USB port and transferr
ed the files to it. When it was done copying she plucked it out again, held it tight in her hand and then tucked into her bra. “All right, Rosie, let’s go home.”

  “Done?”

  “You bet. When we get home we’re gonna hang Apollo and set your Father and Raven free.”

  “Yeah!” Rose raised her fist in victory as she smiled.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  High Noon

  Zeus gloated all day and all night, he strutted around like a peacock in its prime and crowed over his victory to anyone who would listen. Mainly that was Hera who was not as pleased with her Husband as he was pleased with himself. He went to great lengths for the upcoming trial, which he expected to be very short and bloody. The Counsel Chamber gleamed from its white marble ceiling to its black marble floor, every pillar dusted, every seat shined, and the table itself gleamed like the sun. It was heavy with trays of Ambrosia, fruit, cheese, and nuts along with decanters of Nectar. In the center of the room he hauled out the Chair of Truth should anyone be brave enough to offer testimony.

  Ares and Raven were brought forth from the Dungeon to stand in front of all of them. “You’ve all had a night to mull it over, what say all of you to their guilt?”

  “What? No real trial?” Ares protested. “Just straight to sentencing?”

  “We all know you’re guilty,” Apollo crooned, “why don’t we just get it over with? I vote guilty on both of them and death as my sentence.”

  Raven pulled as though to charge at his Uncle but Ares held him back. “Now that we have your opinion, what you about Aphrodite? What do you say?”

  Aphrodite stepped forward and rendered her verdict. “I find Ares innocent.” Everyone around her gasped but she offered no explanation to them. “As to Raven, he’s admitted his guilt and I have no choice but to agree. I find him guilty of unspeakable atrocities against humanity and life in prison as my sentence.”

  Ares looked from her to Raven in bewilderment. “Innocent?”

  “Yes,” she said softly, “innocent.” Then she stepped back.

  “Your reasoning?” Zeus spat.

  “I’m not required to give you any,” she lobbed back and held her tongue.

  “I want to call a witness,” Raven spoke up, “before anyone else condemns me because of Major Falls.” Everyone around him looked at him with raised eyebrows and dropped jaws. “What? Witnesses aren’t allowed at trial?”

  Hera ventured forward. “Whom do you wish to call in your defense?”

  Raven looked from his Grandmother to Hades and back again. “Tisiphone.”

  Hades spoke up in bewilderment. “If I bring her from the Under World, which she will not like, what do you think she will tell us?”

  “Why don’t you call her up, Uncle, and we’ll find out together.”

  “I won’t have that Fury loose on my Mountain,” Zeus said sternly. “I forbid it.”

  “What’s wrong, Grandfather? Afraid of the truth?”

  “I’m not afraid of anything,” Zeus challenged. “The rest of you render your verdicts.”

  Eros was next in line and he stepped forward but before he could speak his bronze skin tingled and a heavy silence fell over the Chamber. “The Gate has opened,” he whispered.

  “That’s impossible!” Zeus railed even though he too felt it. “I sealed it shut!”

  “Not from the other side,” Ares crooned with a sly grin. “Just wait a few moments Father. Just a few.”

  Sure enough, a few moments later, the door to the Counsel Chamber burst open as Alena and Rose entered. “Da-da!” Rose shouted and wiggled to be out of her Mother’s arms. Alena let her go and she ran to Ares who scooped her up in his arms.

  “What kind of dark magick is this? I banished you from here, whore.”

  “I am Ares’ Wife,” Alena said defiantly. “You can’t banish me, you old fart. If you wanted to lock me out you should have locked the other side of the door.” She watched Ares nod as he held his free arm out to her. “I’ve got something for you, for all of you.” She walked to Ares side holding onto the laptop and was warmed by his embrace. “Love you,” she cooed as she looked up at him.

  “Love you too. What happened?” He looked at the makeshift bandage on her arm and the ripped red sweatshirt on his sides. “Are you all right?”

  “Fine, I’ll tell you about our adventure later.” She gave him a squeeze before stepping away from him again and sauntering up to the table and laying the laptop on it. “Do you know what this is?”

  “You have no right to speak here, Witch, hold your tongue!” Zeus’ voice boomed as he slammed his staff on the floor and sent a burst of energy flying at her. Alena raised her own staff in return and sent it back to him.

  “I thought we’ve already established I am Ares’ Wife and he stands accused. I have evidence of his innocence and you will let me show it.”

  “You have no place here! She will only lie for them and try to trick us!”

  “On the contrary,” Athena spoke, “she’s right, Father, she has every right and I want to see her evidence. Go on Alena.”

  “Thank you, Lady of Wisdom.” Alena nodded politely and then looked at Zeus. “But, if it eases your mind any, Great Father,” Alena glanced over her shoulder and brought the Chair of Truth skittering across the floor to settle behind her. Smiling politely, she took a seat on the sharp metal spikes.

  “Alena, get up!” Ares hissed as he reached out to snatch her from the chair’s grasp but he was too late. Zeus sealed her in to the torture device with a happy smile.

  “Oooo, mama, ow,” Rose cried softly and rubbed her little butt.

  In the grasp of the chair, Alena looked up at those gathered around and continued with her testimony. “I asked all of you if you know what this is.” They all grumbled and shook their heads. “And you call yourselves Gods,” Alena admonished.

  Eros spoke up. “It’s a computer.”

  Feeling the sharp spikes under her tender flesh, Alena turned to Eros with relief. She’d been hoping Eros would be the one to step forward and help with her little demonstration because the Olympians would trust him. Even though he was Ares’ Son they understood there was little love-loss between them and that Eros would not lie for his Father. “That’s right, it’s a laptop to be precise. A wonderful technological marvel of the Mortals. It holds all kinds of information, including video.” Alena motioned for Eros to stand near the laptop. “So there’s no question of what’s about to happen, open it and make it work.”

  Nervously Eros looked around and then touched his hand to the keyboard to charge the battery and bring up the screen.

  “What are Windows?” Hera asked as she watched it boot up.

  “What kind of Fae chicanery is this?” Zeus sneered.

  Alena ignored them and plucked the flash drive from between her breasts. “You know what this is?”

  Eros looked at it but then shook his head. “No.”

  “It’s a flash drive you idiot,” Raven said from behind them, “it holds external information that the computer can read and display.”

  “Who said you could talk?” Zeus grunted.

  “It’s my trial Old Man, I get to say my piece.”

  “Aphrodite, would be so kind as to take it from my hand and give it to your Son?”

  “Me? Aphrodite asked, visibly flustered as she looked around. “Umm, sure.” The Goddess of Love leaned forward, she stretched her voluptuous frame across the top of the table as far as she could until her long legs were straight, her firm ass high in the air, and those lusty breasts dangled over the other side. She had to stretch just a little more before her fingertips touched the small gray device and took it from Alena’s outstretched hand. Straightening up, she handed it to Eros.

  Eros looked at Alena with questioning eyes.

  “Put it in the slot on the side, dumbass,” Raven huffed and watched his older Brother fumble with the laptop. “No, the other side, over there, no the other way, no…oh for cryin’ out loud.”

/>   Eros managed to pop the flash drive into the port then he looked up at Alena again. “Everybody gather ‘round and watch now,” Alena instructed from the Chair of Truth as she waved them all toward Eros.

  Normally the Olympians didn’t cluster so close together but Hera, Athena, Aphrodite, Hades, and Poseidon wandered over readily and they stood shoulder to shoulder trying to get the best view of the tiny screen.

  “What’s wrong Apollo? Go look, I want you to see what I found at Area 51.” She held back the grin but not the gleam in her gray eyes as Apollo’s golden skin paled.

  “There’s nothing there,” Apollo challenged through gritted teeth.

  “No? Why don’t you go over there and watch.”

  “This is…”

  “Be quite, Apollo,” Hera ordered. “You too, get over here.” She waved Zeus closer.

  Begrudgingly Father and Son wandered to the far sides of the small cluster and peered at the screen.

  “Being so removed from the Mortal World for so long has its price. You don’t know what technology they’ve advanced or how they use it. For instance, almost everyone has…or rather had…one of these machines. You’re not aware that there are surveillance cameras everywhere. They monitor the Mortals every move from street to restaurants and banks. Even government laboratories.” Alena pointed to Eros and then at the laptop which was asking him if he wanted to open the F Drive. The winged God of Love touched his bronze hand to the built-in mouse and ordered the computer to open the files. The video opened and suddenly everyone was watching the last moments of the lives of the scientists employed in the Bio Weapons Lab of Area 51. They watched Raven mow down innocent people with a cold smile on his face. Watched him open the wall, smash the vial, and tuck three more into his pocket.

  “Let’s get a better look at this!” Zeus laughed and felt victory surge through him once more as he threw the images from the computer into the air in front of them as though there were a large screen TV in the room. “Stupid Fae, you came here to damn your son?”