Conquest: Rise of the Fifth Horseman (The Fifth Horseman Series Book 1)

by Richard M. Mulder

  After entering the John C. Kluczynski Federal Building downtown, she took a coin and forced the elevator’s keyhole labeled ‘Fire Service’ to turn past the ‘on’ slot to an unmarked position. A panel then popped out, and she leaned her face forward to allow the retina scanner to verify her identity. After the laser beam swept past her cornea, a green LED light lit up with confirmation and the elevator immediately plummeted to the true subterranean basement. Not even the FBI Agents within the building knew it existed.

  As the doors swung open, she was not prepared for the sight she beheld. There were agents everywhere reviewing schematics on large screens, conversing so heavily that there was a general hum as she stepped out onto the floor. It was the busiest she’d ever seen it.

  From across the room Commander Arlington sat at his desk staring at his monitor with a forehead creased with worry. He looked up and met her eyes with a knowing look, and gestured to her to join him. After closing the door, Commander Arlington didn’t even greet her with the normal pleasantries.

  “Have you spoken with Allan since your report this morning?” he asked abruptly.

  “Actually, no. I haven’t been able to get ahold of him.” she explained, “What’s going on?”

  He stared at his computer screen absently for several minutes. The silence was disturbing.

  He finally locked eyes with her and delivered the news, “Allan never arrived at the office. We tracked his phone and found it discarded at the scene of a crime.”

  “What kind of crime?” her eyebrows tensed as she leaned forward in her chair.

  “First degree murder.”

  “What?!”

  “The suspect left with the murder weapon, and all of the evidence indicates that Allan was there at the time the victim was killed.” his voice was strained, “To your knowledge, does Allan own a gun?”

  “Yes, he does.” she spoke concerned, “But I’ve never seen him carry it outside of the house.”

  He spoke with a heavy heart, “The victim was one of our agents.”

  A look of shock fell across her face, “Who was it?”

  “Jason Bridger.”

  The horror hit her so hard that she felt like she had gotten shot in the chest. During her last year of school she completed a year of covert training with the NSA. Jason Bridger was in her training class, and they shared a common attraction for each other. After a few months of dating however, she successfully infiltrated Motif Global Encryption (MGE) by getting hired on as a cryptographer. Jason stayed in California while she was shipped off to Illinois, so their romantic interests had to be put on hold. She was young and devastated, but they promised to find each other after they completed their assignments. As the years passed she utilized all of her skills to move to the top of MGE and became the NSA’s primary source of inside information. Her romantic arrangement with Jason had all but been forgotten.

  A concerned look crossed his face as he studied her reaction to the news, “Did you know him?”

  A tear escaped and rolled down her cheek, “Yes. I did.”

  “Has Allan ever talked about Jason before?”

  “No, why?”

  “Apparently they were roommates in college. They were friends for years until they were both arrested just before their graduation.” he leaned back in his chair, “I don’t know how our analytics department missed that when we started Allan’s surveillance.”

  “Why did they get arrested?” she queried as she wiped her eyes.

  “For brawling in public. Apparently they got in a fight over the same girl.” he shook his head in disgust, “From what we can tell, they haven’t spoken since.”

  She met his gaze with a blank stare as she forced herself to swallow her emotions.

  “I had hoped that maybe you might be able to shed some light as to why they met up today?”

  She shook her head in distress, “I honestly don’t know.”

  “As I feared.” he sighed, “Jason never turned in his report after his operation. We pulled the history from Jason’s terminal, and his most recent activity was focused on the MGE Surveillance Project.”

  Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, “Does he even have the proper security clearance to access those files?”

  “No, he doesn’t.” he shook his head, “His operation yesterday was a simple data extraction, but he never turned in the crucial evidence we needed. We suspect that his killer must have taken it.”

  “Wait...” she scrunched her freckled nose, “if he didn’t have the proper clearance, then how did he...”

  “He logged in with your credentials from his terminal.” his face grew tighter. “Something he should only have been able to get from you. What exactly did you discuss with him yesterday?”

  “You’re not suggesting I gave him my access codes, are you?” her shoulders squared.

  He studied her reaction for several minutes, and then relaxed his composure, “No. You wouldn’t do that. I suspect he went rogue and was trying to tip off Allan to your true identity.”

  “But why would he do that?”

  “Rage? Jealousy?” he guessed, “We really don’t know.”

  “You don’t really think Allan killed him, do you?”

  “I’m afraid we don’t have any other suspects. His blood was also found at the scene of the crime.” he frowned, “And suspiciously he’s nowhere to be found.”

  “Allan’s wounded?!” her voice shot up an octave.

  “It appears he may be.” he raised a suspicious eyebrow, “He did lose a significant amount of blood, however he hasn’t admitted himself to any of the local hospitals.”

  “I’ve got to go find him!”

  “I already have our top agents on it.” he shook his head in disapproval, “And I need you to accept this situation for what it really is. Allan is a dangerous fugitive. He intentionally disabled his GFID Nano-chips this morning, and then killed one of our agents. How much more does he know about us? About you?”

  “With all due respect sir,” she huffed, “how does that make any sense to you?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Has it occurred to you that Allan might be innocent?”

  “I don’t follow. “

  “What if there’s another suspect we’re overlooking?” she suggested, “What if a third person killed Jason, and then abducted Allan after wounding him?”

  Arlington stared at her aghast, “That’s a bit far-fetched.”

  “But it is possible, right?” she pleaded.

  He shook his head in disapproval, “I believe my original assessment was correct. You’ve gotten too close to your subject and your opinion is skewed.”

  “Just give me a chance and I’ll prove his innocence!” she panicked.

  “I’ve already given you enough chances, Agent Wilson.” his eyes narrowed as he handed her a manila envelope, “I am removing you from the MGE Surveillance Project. I will allow you until tomorrow morning to gather what you need, and then you will report to Gate C of O’Hare International Airport where you will be briefed on your next assignment.”

  She tried to protest but he only pointed her to his door, “You are excused.”

  She stood and saluted him with a blank stare. Despite the agony in her heart, she had to stay the course. She felt as though she no longer knew who she was inside. She had adored her life as Lily, but in just a mere second it had suddenly come screeching to a halt. She longed to be the woman Allan believed she was. She longed to tell him the truth, but knew it would only put his life in jeopardy and likely land herself in a federal penitentiary. It killed her inside to know that Allan would never understand why she had to leave him.

  Chapter Nine: Vagrant’s Revelation

  Before God had created man, he created certain Malakhim; an intellectual race of beings with glorified flesh and bone, who didst serve as His angels. After God hath created man, the Morning Stars of the Malakhim sang together with joy…

  – Methuselah 8:1 –

  Allan awoke
lying face down in a puddle with his head throbbing. Disoriented, the brutal memories of this most recent nightmare flashed back to his mind. He tensed with an imagined pain that lingered from a bullet that had ripped through the chest of another man’s body. An incoherent voice still echoed in his mind…

  Pushing himself up from the damp floor, he opened his eyes groggily. He found himself in a dimly lit ‘cell’ made up of chain-link fencing laced with barbed wire. There were several identical cells to his right and to his left, and several more on the adjacent wall. Its appearance was more suited for a dog shelter. It certainly smelled like one.

  He looked around to find a ragged vagabond crouched in the corner of one of the cells on the far wall.

  Well, that accounts for the smell.

  “Fine weather this afternoon, isn’t it?” the old man’s voice echoed.

  Allan’s head throbbed at the sound.

  “What do you think of our accommodations?” the old man laughed to himself, “I hear they provide a free continental breakfast in the mornings.”

  Allan turned away and continued to ignore him the way he usually would to a beggar on the train platform.

  “I assure you Allan, I’m no beggar.”

  “How do you know my name?” Allan’s eyebrow rose in curiosity, “Who are you?”

  “I have many names.”

  A lunatic. Great. I should have kept my mouth shut.

  After a few seconds of silence, the old man corrected himself, “For purposes of protection, of course. These men had been after me for decades. I guess I got sloppy. You can call me John.”

  “What men?”

  “The hooded men who locked you up in here.”

  His mind was suddenly filled with visions from his dream of cloaked men attacking him from all sides.

  “This can’t be real...” Allan was dumbfounded, “Where are we?”

  John scratched his filthy white beard in thought, “That’s a good question. I was unconscious when they dragged me in here all those years ago.”

  Years? There’s no way he’s been here that long and still lives with any sense of sanity.

  “I couldn’t agree with you more.”

  Oh, boy. Who is he talking to now?

  “I’m talking to you, of course.” he stammered, “I was agreeing with you that after all these years I’ve barely been able to hold on to any shred of sanity.”

  Allan’s mind suddenly went numb, “How did you... what...”

  “How did I what?” John persisted.

  How did you know what I was thinking?

  “Oh, that.” he smiled, “That’s just a natural talent of mine. Sorry if it disturbs you.”

  Natural?! There’s nothing natural about it!

  Their eyes locked and silence ensued for the next few minutes. Then, suddenly John gasped and grabbed the link fencing for support, his hand narrowly missing a cluster of barbed wire.

  “It’s you…”

  “Excuse me?”

  A look of shock crossed John’s face. He dropped to his knees and began muttering to himself. No… he was praying.

  Oh, boy. This guy has totally lost it.

  Moments later John leapt back to his feet, “I thought this day would never come! I had almost lost hope!”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “The Final Seraph has awoken!” his aged body danced with new life.

  Allan stared at him incredulously.

  The man grabbed the fencing with both hands and shook it, “Do you know what this means?!”

  “Honestly?” Allan stammered, “I haven’t the slightest.”

  “There’s so much to tell you. So little time.” he began to pace in his cell, “The men who attacked you are a secret elite group known as the Creed of Nephilim who are led by Tamerlane of the ancient Timurid Empire.”

  The creed of who?

  “The Creed of Nephilim. Anyway, the name isn’t important. We can go into further detail later.” he spoke impatiently as he pricked his hands on the barbed wire fencing, “What’s important for you to know is that the man you know as Timur Demyan is this same Tamerlane to which I am referring. He is a very dangerous man, and I am certain that by now he has learned of your Awakening.”

  My what?

  “Again, details I don’t yet have time to explain. If he finds out my secret, he will do everything in his power to destroy you. And I won’t lie to you, he has a lot of power.” his hands started to bleed as he forcefully grabbed at the fencing and shook it violently, “He has powers far beyond your ability to comprehend. We have to get out of here. Fast.”

  Chapter Ten: Haunted Memories

  When the Leviathan saw this, he was wroth because of his displacement. From that day forth the Leviathan didst fight against God by using his powers of darkness to influence many of God’s Malakhim to disobey…

  – Methuselah 8:2 –

  It had been many years since Timur had made the jump. The realm of the other world was where he had been trapped for multiple decades, and an irrational fear of getting trapped there again continually lingered in the back of his mind. While he had been there without any means of escape, his entire empire fell apart. Formerly known as Tamerlane of the ancient Timurid Empire, he had laid siege to hundreds of villages.

  The night before he intended to lay siege on China however, a flash of brilliant white light filled his bed chambers and an old man clothed in ornate apparel appeared out of nowhere. The old man was wearing a crown and carrying a bow, and Timur cowered before what he thought was an angel who had come with the wrath of God to destroy him. Instead, the old man dragged him away with another flash of blinding light and trapped him in a dungeon upon an unknown world. He wasn’t aware at the time that he had been predestined to become the next Seraph and Guardian of our world.

  As the months turned into years and the years turned into decades, Timur began to lose all sense of sanity as he awaited death to overtake him. Deprived of food and drink, he expected his death to come quickly: but death never came to knock on his door. Many times he screamed through the iron bars, and yet neither guard nor warden ever came to his aid. His only companion was a dark voice from the shadows.

  The voice gained intensity as the years dragged on, comforting him that he would get his revenge in due course of time. Though Timur was unable to see anything in the darkness, he could feel the presence of the Leviathan as if it were a man standing before him. Nearly three decades had passed before his depression turned into anger and his anger turned into rage. A sickly green light emanated from his eyes, and he could make out strange symbols covering all of the walls.

  “What are these markings?” he asked the darkness.

  “Thou art entrapped by these spells of binding.” the dark voice spoke, “These ancient symbols doth prevent thee from developing thine divine powers and doth prevent thee from escaping from this dungeon.”

  “What powers?”

  “Thou art a Seraph.” the Leviathan explained, “It hast been prophesied that thou shalt take thy place as the rightful heir to the throne of Atlantis. During thy reign, Death and Hell shall follow after thee as a fourth part of the earth shall be destroyed with hunger, famine, and with sword.”

  “But how will do get out of here?”

  “First, ye must yield thy soul up unto me and become my servant.”

  “I’ll do no such thing.” Timur huffed, “I’ve got my own empire to redeem.”

  A pair of burning red eyes began to light up the chamber as the dark voice bellowed, “Yes, you shall!”

  The ground began to shake violently. Timur staggered and fell as several stalagmites crashed down, crushing him alive. The red glow disappeared, and Timur was left alone in the darkness of the cavern. He screamed out in pain for days, but the Leviathan would not heed his cries.

  Several weeks of agony passed before the Leviathan finally returned. Timur was weak, but was unable to succumb to death. The Leviathan offered freedom in exchange for yielding
up his soul for consumption. Timur accepted the offer in desperation, and watched the white glow of his spirit exit his body and erupt in flames. He felt a part of him die inside as the Leviathan inhaled the thick smoke emitting from Timur’s corrupted soul.

  The ground shook again, causing the walls of the cave to crumble around him. At first Timur thought he had been betrayed, but then he felt a warmth growing inside. The pains he had endured over the past few weeks began to subside, and he felt himself growing stronger. The green glow of his eyes burned brighter, and his anger turned into rage. When his rage absolutely overtook him, an unknown power began to seep from his bones. The sickly green light emanated from his eyes as an aura of power surrounded him. In an outburst of inhuman rage, all of the rubble within a fifty-foot radius incinerated into ash.

  “I have freed thee from thy spells of binding.” the Leviathan spoke, “Now go. Seek thy revenge!”

  Tramping forth out of the dust, Timur ascended a mighty flight of stairs that were carved into the rock. Though pitch black, his path was lit by the green glow of his eyes. A small sliver of light emanated from the top of a far-away exit. Adrenaline coursed through his veins as he ascended the arduous staircase. When he finally reached the summit, he was bathed in sunlight. High above he could see two Solar Giants lighting up the sky from either end of a valley he could see far below. It appeared the staircase had terminated at a cave opening near the top of an extremely high mountain. Down in the center of the valley arose a great and glorious city that was far more exquisite than any he had ever before laid eyes upon.

  Timur broke out of his reverie and focused his thoughts. He knew that in the ruins of that once glorious city he would find a way to eliminate his most recent obstacle. Though Allan’s powers were already beginning to manifest, Timur instinctively knew that there must be something hidden in that long-forsaken city that would give him the answers he needed. It was there that he would find the key to destroying this newly-emerging Seraph.