While everyone around him battled, James utilized the extension cords and tools he could gather and went to work. With deft, steady hands, he worked to rig the building’s service disconnect and a generator to suit his needs.
He could hear the growls and demonic sounds from Cade and Jarrett battling their opponents. A leech demon shrieked when Nate stabbed it, and the last one hissed as his companion turned to ash.
James concentrated on the task before him, but the sounds behind him were hard to ignore. When he heard men yelling, calling desperately for their military brethren to stop, he glanced back and saw his military brethren fighting to help each other.
In that moment, a new reality had struck him. This plan would never work. If he used this many amps on a person possessed, it would likely kill whoever endured it. The homemade weapon was no good without a body. With no corporeal form to attack, his only chance of doing the shadows any damage was to use the body they possessed. James had known that part going in, but the generator and the disconnect were more electrical energy than he bargained for.
In the next second, clanging tools and flying objects hitting concrete crashed nearby, and before James could think any more on the matter of life and death, he heard his sister call his name.
Glancing over, he saw his sister in mortal peril only a few feet away. An armed man stood frozen in front of her barrier while flying objects battered her defense. Behind her, Delphene struggled to get to her knees, but the injured she-wolf proved to be too weak, and she fell again. His sister fought to deflect the projectiles with her wind, but he could tell she too was losing strength.
James hurried to finish. Connecting the final wire and flicking the switch, he ran to help. Something flew in and clipped his sister’s shoulder. He didn’t see what it was, but he watched Tracy stumble and topple over Delphene. The soldier she had been holding with magic lifted his rifle up with precise ease and took aim.
With no other choice left, James acted to protect his sister. Kicking out with his right foot, he connected with the soldier’s side at the same time the man pulled the trigger. The shot went wild, and James hurried to finish the deed. Using swift moves his uncle could be proud of, James swung around to the man’s back and touched the charged clamps that he’d tied to makeshift wires at the base of the man’s neck. The jolt of electricity was swift, but the result was terrifying.
Strange unearthly screams echoed in the expansive space. James had no way of knowing his weapon had decimated the demon's presence, but the remaining two phase demons recognized the threat. Soldiers dropped to their knees writhing in pain or cowering in fear before the demons vacated their hosts.
The man James had electrocuted crumpled to the ground like a sack of potatoes as his eyes rolled back. James threw the pliers in opposite directions, and rolling the man over, began CPR.
Chapter 36
When they had finished tending to the worst of the wounded, cataloging the damage, and handling their fallen soldiers, it was noon the next day. Every person in The Brotherhood understood the risks in their chosen profession, but none had faced such an enemy before. The casualties caused by three phase demons came with devastating repercussions for the survivors. Fighting against people you trust most, and being forced to kill them or watch more people die, took a toll on all of them.
Out of forty military members assigned to the secret base, twenty-four were still standing when it was over. Six were wounded, and two remained in critical condition. The rest had taken their final breaths defending the base.
Out of their circle, Jonah and Delphene took the worst of it, but were recovering under Cynda and Ashley’s care. Rederrick, Cynda, and Cody had weathered the storm in safety. Even if they had been frustrated by the lockdown, their family was grateful. That gratitude was rammed home when they stood among the bodies of fallen soldiers. The rest of their group suffered injuries, but mostly bumps and scrapes. Worse than the physical scars, James, like many others, suffered from emotional turmoil.
After spending the bulk of the morning with Delphene to make sure she was All right, Jarrett came to the hanger to meet with Cade. There was a tick in Jarrett’s jaw as he walked in and saw James pull the last sheet over the soldier that he had killed to save Delphene and Tracy.
The guilt on James’s face was impossible to miss, and the anger hovering around Jarrett was thick enough to cut with a knife.
“It’s not your fault,” Cade assured James.
“Sure,” James mumbled.
“It’s not,” Jarrett said firmly as he approached. “It’s Bellig’s fault.”
Cade nodded. “You were the only one who outsmarted them, and you gave the phase demons something to think about. I imagine it's the first time anyone has.”
“It won’t stop them, Uncle Cade. I should know. One of them was inside me too.”
“Maybe not, but at least you bought us some time while they lick their wounds. Plus, you’ve pieced together some of their tendencies. Maybe you can finish the deterrent you were making.”
James looked up at him with bloodshot eyes. “To what end? So I can kill someone else?”
“No, James. So you can save a dozen, maybe more.”
“That’s just it, Uncle Cade, if I could save a hundred, killing any innocent in exchange feels wrong.”
“No sane man likes war, kid,” Jarrett said in a dark, brooding tone. “And it should feel wrong.”
“If it didn’t feel wrong we’d be no better than our enemy,” Cade added. “We call them casualties for a reason. Nobody deserved to die last night, but none of us can control Bellig’s actions.”
Jarrett folded his arms over his chest and pinned James with a fierce expression. “Listen to me, kid. When you're in a sinking submarine and you have the chance to save the crew by closing the hatch, you close the hatch. Even if there’s a man down there. The choice still sucks, but ignoring the problem altogether is the coward's way out. Think about how you would feel if the rest of the base, including your sisters and your parents, were all out here under a white sheet. Would you feel warm and fuzzy inside having saved this man?”
Cade put a hand on James’s shoulder. “Would he feel any better knowing what his life cost? Jarrett’s right. It sucks no matter what, but if the roles were reversed and it was you lying there, would you have wanted him to act differently?”
“I don’t know,” James said in weak protest.
Cade raised a single brow. “Yes you do.”
“Yeah. I guess I do.”
“Go see Del and Tracy. Lend Ash and your parents a hand with the wounded. It will help,” Cade suggested.
“Okay, sure,” he said absently and moved to leave. Looking back to the brothers he asked, “Hey, Uncle Cade, do you think I could go with them when notifications are made?”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
“Thanks. Oh, and before I forget, Tracy said to give these back to you.” Reaching into his pocket, James pulled their copper pendants out.
“She’s done already?” Cade said as he took his pendant.
“She charmed them again. It worked too.”
“What worked?” Jarrett asked as he slipped his back on and placed it under his shirt.
“Tracy’s charm. Delphene’s was charmed too. She shifted before Jarrett got there, but the clothes she was wearing didn’t get ruined. When she lost consciousness and changed back, her clothes magically came back too.”
“She shifted?” Jarrett said with disbelief.
“Yeah, ask her. It seems Tracy finally found a way to keep the three of you modest.”
“Huh.” Cade huffed. “That’s a long time coming.”
James shrugged. “At least one of us succeeded last night.”
“James,” Cade admonished, and both men felt a pang of sympathy for him.
Waving it away, James mumbled, “I know, it's not my fault. Listen, I’ll catch up with you guys later.”
Watching him leave with heavy shoulders, Cade let go
of a despondent breath. “How's Del?”
“Coming along. Ashley’s spent all her energy helping the healing process. Those things nearly killed her,” Jarrett said angrily.
Cade nodded again and thought of their building relationship, and there was a pang in his heart for Collett again. “Collett closed the hatch to buy us time too, but I’m not sure how to save the sub.”
Trying to push back his rage, Jarrett growled, “Take out the man directing the shots.”
“Without knowing where he is, we’ll have to settle for a few demons.”
Jarrett stared at the covered body on the table. “It’s not enough.”
Surrounded by the loss of good men, Cade had to agree. “No. It’s not enough.”
“We have to do something different or he’s going to pick us off one by one. We’ll never outrun him.”
“Come on,” Cade offered while clapping him on the back. “Let’s gather up the others and make a plan.”
As they left the hanger, they saw Nate jogging toward them. “Cade! You better come quick.”
Hurrying over to meet Nate, the brothers ran along with him when he turned on his heel to head back the way he came. “What is it?” Cade questioned.
Nate uttered a single word that sent angry heat coursing through the twins. “Victor.”
Jarrett grabbed Nate by the arm and pulled him to a sudden stop. “Say again?”
A little winded, Nate explained, “Victor called ten minutes ago. The commander said he gave his name and promised vital information, but would only speak with you. Victor said he would call that same line in fifteen minutes, and if you weren't there he wouldn’t call again. I’ve been trying to find you for the last ten minutes. We have to hurry.”
“We need James,” Cade observed as they started running again.
Nate smiled. “Done. I saw him on my way to you and sent him ahead of us.
“Good.”
The trio entered the commander's office right as the phone trilled. Cade stepped forward to pick it up, but James stopped him, “I only need fifteen to thirty seconds.”
“Got it,” Cade said, pressing the button for the speaker phone. “Victor?”
“Mr. Werren?”
“You got me. What do you want?”
“Immunity.”
“I thought you’re supposed to be smart!” Jarrett growled.
“This was a mistake,” Victor mumbled through the phone.
“Wait! Don’t hang up,” Cade hurried to say. The line remained silent for a couple seconds. “Are you still there?”
“Eventually he’ll kill me,” Victor said bluntly.
“Maybe you are smart,” Jarrett scoffed.
“I’m not referring to either of you,” Victor snarled back through the phone in frustration.
Cade was surprised the man had realized the ultimate verity of his life. “You’re right. Eventually, Bellig will either get you killed or kill you himself.”
“Will you?” he asked in a matter-of-fact tone.
Despite his determination to kill the man last week, Cade suddenly remembered Collett’s words when she stopped them from killing Victor the first time. “You are not his judge. You have no knowledge of what his crimes are, or what brought him to this point.”
Clearing his throat, Cade admitted, “I don’t want to kill you, Victor. I don’t want to kill anyone. Too many people have already died, but I’ll… No. We’ll do whatever it takes to protect his victims.”
“You’ll have to kill him, and I fear you’re out of time. My master is preparing for war, and he’s within arm’s reach of his goal.”
Jarrett’s brow furrowed, and Cade met his eyes. “How can we kill him? Where is he?”
James gave them a thumbs up letting the brother’s know they had a location.
In the same instant, the frightened man said, “By now you have my position, so you know where, the how…” He paused.
Jarrett leaned down and spoke to the phone with more patience than he generally displayed. “Victor? What do you know?”
Victor sighed. “I know what I told him three years ago, and I know he’s more afraid of the two of you than anyone else.”
“What did you tell him?” Cade coaxed.
“I—I can see things. No one knows that but him, but I saw something that night. I told him, that if the Hunter allowed the Navajo seer to live, he would eventually ruin Bellig’s plans. I didn’t have the facts then.”
“What facts?” Cade questioned.
“I never told Bellig the whole dream. He doesn’t know.”
“Know what?” Jarrett and Cade demanded together.
“In my vision, I saw two versions of you, Hunter, and witnessing the differences between them, I believed they were different outcomes of your life. How could I have known there were actually two hunters? I realize I misinterpreted the dream, or at least I hope I did. Because in the dream one of you killed him.” Victor finished, and dropping the cell phone in the sand, he left it powered on for their GPS and walked away.
“The Sahara, within the Libyan borders,” Cade explained.
“Oh man, I’m already thirsty,” Nate complained when they sat around a table to discuss the matter.
Rolling her eyes, Tracy inquired, “Since we know the location, can we create a spell to take us all there at once?”
Everyone directed their attention to Cynda.
“I don…maybe,” she stammered and finally shrugged. “No one’s ever tried before.”
“Getting there is not the biggest problem. From the images we could gather, we’re outnumbered. Severely outnumbered,” Rederrick added. “We’ll have to pull every resource we have, and we’ll have to find a way to get there.”
"Why the desert?” Cade questioned while looking at the images. “What could be in that wasteland that would bring Bellig there?”
“Does it matter?” asked Jonah. “We have to go, right?”
“True, but satellite images show he’s digging for something.” Cade pointed to an enormous hole that had been mined by the hoard below. “What’s he digging for?”
“Whatever it is, Chère, you can bet it won’t be good,” Delphene answered.
Flashes from Jarrett’s youth jolted through him, and he stood to absorb the details in the images on the screen. He came to a sudden realization. “I’ve seen this place before,” he admitted somberly.
“There’s no way to surprise him from here—” Cade explained, then stopped and turned to Jarrett. “You’ve been there?”
Jarrett could barely grasp the memory, but he understood it was important somehow. “Not in person.”
“What is it, Wolf?” Delphene questioned softly.
“He told me about it once.” He scowled, thinking back to more than a century before.
“What did he tell you?” Cade asked.
“I put it out of my mind in short order. When he spoke of it, Bellig ranted about the beginning of all things or some madness like that,” Jarrett explained, “He talked about choices and the source of the first choice made. He never even looked at me then. He stared at a map of this region and kept saying if he could just destroy the source people would bend. They would be safe from their natural tendency toward self-destruction. He would rant about the truth of power being hidden deep beneath the earth.”
“The beginning of all things?” Delphene questioned.
“The first choice?” Cade asked at the same time.
“Ramee told Cynda something about choices," Jarrett added thoughtfully.
“You’re right. She did,” Cynda agreed.
“What was the first choice?” Delphene thought out loud.
Cade’s eyes widened.
“What?” Jarrett asked.
“I think I know what he wants,” Cade said as he struggled to comprehend the reality of it all himself, but he knew it made sense. “The first choice, I think I know what the first choice was. What did Ramee tell you exactly?” he said, turning his full attention to
Cynda.
Cynda pinched her brows, trying to picture the conversation again. “She told me that even the first choice made by mankind was a puzzle to most. Then Ramee said it was that single decision that guided the destiny of the human race.”
Ashley toyed with a pencil, “What are you thinking, Uncle Cade?”
“The first choice,” Cade mumbled.
“No. You’re not seriously thinking..." Jarrett said, scowling with disbelief.
“Why not? It fits.”
Jarrett pulled a hand through his hair like Cade did when he was frustrated. “You’re nuts!”
“Start talking, Chère,” Delphene demanded impatiently. “Let the rest of us into your craziness.”
“Eve,” Jarrett answered for him.
“And Adam,” Cade confirmed.
“Adam and Eve?” Tracy replied. “Just a minute, you’re talking about Adam, the Adam from the Bible?”
“The digging,” Delphene added, thinking of the massive hole the demons were mining.
“Think about it. How many religions have doctrine about the first choice made? It all goes back to Adam and Eve and the choice to partake of the fruit from the tree. Merilynn was very devout and made sure I learned all of this during my childhood.”
Cynda’s eyes widened. “The books! Ramee, she told me she would have Becky bring me some books. She suggested the Bible. Another one of the books even talks about Ask and Embl, the first humans in Norse legend. They were created from a tree.”
“Selena, the Native legends,” Tracy added. “They have stories about a tree too.”
“Exactly, legends. None of that is real,” Jarrett injected. “You’re talking about a myth.”
Jonah snorted. “Last I checked, werewolves, demons, sorcerers, witches, and everything in between are legends too. In fact, none of that existed for me a week ago.” He swept out his arm encompassing them all. “And yet here I am, talking to a werewolf and falling for a witch who could probably turn me into a ferret, like in Harry Potter, if I piss her off.”
Tracy met his eyes, and he simply shrugged. She smiled.
“He’s got a point,” Rederrick agreed.
The Truth of Victory: A Powers of Influence Novel Page 33