Twenty or so Shades were gathered behind him; they burst into the room around the giant Dark One. Judgement remained stock sill, frozen to the spot as if he was totally ignoring the danger. The Shades started to slowly close in on him. Another figure loomed in the door way. It was The Dark One called Leach. He dripped mud and water behind and around him, “Kill him you stupid fool!” His voice gurgled the command.
Judgement sounded like the voice of doom, “Judged!” He roared.
Jennings was almost at the firing range door, he could feel the pressure wave build that he normally associated with moments before a large blast, “Boom down!”
Pat ‘Boom Boom’ Mackinnon was pissed off. He wanted to be in the thick of the fight but his boss was ordering him to run away. At the sound of his name he looked up to see his boss by the steel sound proof door to the range about twelve feet away, when all of a sudden he heard this God almighty din. His mind was literally assailed by a blast of heavenly sounding trumpets, harps and high pitched female voices raised in a great wail of sadness, all intermixed with the sound of a large explosion. It was a sound he’d remember to his dying day.
‘Boom Boom’ had been in explosions before. So he recognised the white light as he started to dive for the floor, hands covering his ears, mouth wide open, eyes screwed shut. A wave of compressed air lifted him off his feet and carried him in through the firing range door as if he weighed no more than a feather. He was surprised though that no blast of fire or fragmentation followed, but the noise did. A blast of thunder so loud, it knocked ‘Boom’ senseless.
“If you don’t mind!” a distant voice gasped.
‘Boom Boom’ rolled off a flattened Mike Edwards. “Sorry.” He shouted, his ears still ringing loudly from the blast.
Jennings saw dust and debris settle in what was left of his conference room. Forcing his way to the front, he ran back into the room. Judgement was now kneeling with both hands supporting himself on the floor. The room was flattened, the solid wooden table nothing but splinters, as was all the chairs and three side tables. The entrance wall was completely blown out. The dead, his dead, were all smeared across the remaining walls, mixed in with grey slime.
He dropped to Judgements side, resting a hand on the kids shoulder, “You okay?”
Judgement was gone. Chris slowly raised his face. Jennings was surprised to see he was crying. “I managed to send the souls of your men to the ascension point. Whether they actually ascend will be up to them. I saved some of the others but not many.”
Jennings rocked back on his heals,” You saved the souls of some of those things that killed MY PEOPLE!” His voice rising in anger.
Chris slowly climbed to his feet, “there are….complications you’re not aware of. The Shades are nothing but shells moulded to cover the souls of people The Dark kill and capture. None have any control over there actions, some do not deserve Hell.”
Jennings looked at what was left of his room, “What the hell was that big one and who was that other horror behind him?”
Chris considered the question, “The one behind was Leech, he ordered the new one to attack. I’ve never seen that Dark One before. He must be newly recruited because he made a fatal mistake.”
“What mistake?”
Chris brushed dust from his hat, “He mistook me for a human.”
‘Boom’ staggered out of the firing range, nudging part of a rotting foot aside, “Did you kill him?”
Chris staggered over to where the doorway had been. The outer wall was also smashed in, lumps of masonry was still falling from the roof area twenty feet down the hallway. Mixed with the rubble was blood splattered chunks of flesh and bone that had once been Brick. Of Leach there was no sign, “Brick took the full force of Gods Judgement. He’s gone but I think Leach got away.”
‘Boom’ grinned. Wrong name should have been called Prick Head.”
Chris shook his head, “Need to tidy up your act, we have a Priest who hates swearing.”
Jennings rubbed a hand through his hair, “You’ve killed two Dark so far but they’ve also sent a clear message. They know all about me and my people. That means they somehow that may know a heck of a lot more than you think. It also means I don’t have to force my people to understand, after this they will jump at the chance to fight back. Some of their friends died today.”
Chris looked towards the corridor leading to the firing range, “You have injured. Let me see if I can help.”
“No insult intended but there’s nothing you can do. They need hospital treatment a sap.”
Chris walked towards the firing range,” You may be surprised what I can do.”
Jennings looked at the carnage surrounding him,’ after this nothing will surprise me.’ He thought.
It took Chris no more than three hours to heal all the wounded, even the critically wounded. The rest of Jennings people looked on in wide eyed amazement. They didn’t know which of the three white haired strangers to look at, Chris who could heal with his hands and had seemingly blown the conference room to hell with nothing but a look! The beautiful female archer, with white flowing hair that moved around her head as if alive and her strange white eyes that should have meant she was blind but wasn’t, or the young man with electrical discharges that arced around and across his body. Their minds still reeled from the grey slime covered monsters that had killed three of their own. One thing they knew, Jennings had been truthful. They didn’t understand what was going on but they wouldn’t rest until they had avenged their friends deaths.
Chapter Seventeen
Standing next to Anvil was Jennings and in front of them where one hundred and seventy four men and women. This constituted the entire world wide agent contingency that made up the front line staff of Star light security. Ex Irish Guards, a few ex parachute regiment elite, ex members of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation or ASIO, the Austrian Abwehramt or Military Protective Office, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police National Security Criminal Investigations unit or RCMP, even ex members of the fabled Mossad and the French Directorate of Military Intelligence. Jennings had also recruited from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the highly secret British Secret Intelligence Service. But he also had people with specialist kill and weapons skills from units such as the United States Army Rangers, the Australian 1st Commando Regiment, the German Kommando Spezialkräfte, Canadian Special Operations Regiment and of course the SAS.
Eighteen hours previous to this meeting, Anvil and Priest gave Jennings the third degree when he turned up at the warehouse with some of his people and a few that where wounded but healing. They listened as Jennings explained the bloodbath that had taken place and the fortuitous arrival of Chris, Huntress and Hot Cross, “I’d say my connection to you is known to the other side. A Shade or one of The Dark must have gotten away from the fire fight at Jenkins apartment. He or they not only witnessed the death of this Shadow character but my presence at the scene, hence the full blown attack on my people. How they found out who I was so quickly is any ones guess. They intended wiping us out in retaliation for what you’d done but it backfired.”
Chris came in shortly after that to confirm they hadn’t been followed.
“How do you know?” Priest asked.
Chris smiled, “I found a way back into the In Between or rather Judgement did. I guess being cut off from it wasn’t allowed.
Anvil and they others listened as Chris explained how he had entered the In Between, “Instead of just willing it so. Picture a wall with a door between you and there, then just open the door.”
Priest looked amazed, “That simple!”
Chris told them to try and where surprised just how easy it was. He looked at his son with deep respect showing in his eyes,’ Just how powerful are you?’ he wondered.
Anvil cast his gaze over Huntress, who was sitting at the kitchen counter drinking milk. “Considering I’d sent you to the wrong place, namely Embankment and that damn bridge. Care to please expl
ain how you happened to be in the right place at the right time?”
Huntress deferred to Chris. Which gave Anvil pause for another thought, ‘Are you becoming the leader here?’
Chris spoke quietly, “We were on our way down to Embankment, like you said and I was deep in thought wishing we could travel In-Between, when suddenly Judgement gave me a vision. It was as I told you. Suddenly I’d found a way to enter the In-Between. All it took was for me to see the wall the Devil had put up and add a door. I couldn’t break his wall down but I could open a door supplied by our Creator. We were on our way to Embankment, so I took us into the In-Between and the next second saw dozens of Shades in the distance heading off at the gallop towards the city. I would have ignored them if not for the fact that they had with them a new member of The Dark and Leach.”
Huntress took over now and explained they had decided to follow this new Dark One and the other. They led them to a brick building and started to attack it, “The rest is history.”
Priest belched again,” That’s two of The Dark, Chris has destroyed. Thank God we didn’t meet Brick in some dark alley way! I wonder what other monsters they’ve recruited.”
Anvil was still thinking about that conversation when Jennings whispered in his ear, bringing him back to the present, “You do realise that the situation will undoubtedly be taken away from you by Her Majesties Secret Service, MI6 and the military?”
Anvil shrugged, “I doubt it. Half your team will have reported back to there own Governments about what happened. Most world leaders know about my people and what sort of power they have. They may offer help but they’re out of there depth and they will know it. Besides I know where all the nasty skeletons are buried.”
“Blackmail, I’m impressed.” Jennings chuckled.
Anvil snorted,” I prefer enforced mutual co-operation.”
Anvil had turned over the second and third floor of the warehouse to Jennings and his people. It had taken them half a day to remove all booby traps, some of which greatly impressed ‘Boom Boom’, who loved explosives. The rest of the day they had started to outfit each level for habitation. That had taken a week but during that time, his men had slept on army camp cots, none had complained.
During the forth week, crates containing weapons of every kind arrived. Priest and Judgement were kept busy blessing them all and outfitting them with holy water hydro bullets. Hot Cross had helped set up ten bullet presses and showed there armourers how he made hydro bullets from holy water. They set about making thousands of rounds of ammo. That took another two weeks.
The floor on which Anvil and Jennings now stood was the third floor. It looked spotless and outfitted for luxury. This was the sleep and rest area, plus kitchen and lounge areas. The second floor was the armoury and martial arts area plus a fully stocked medical and sick bay. Jennings had provided four medical orderlies, plus a combat doctor and surgeon. The area also contained an impressive radio communications system, linked into the cities CCTV and several world wide surveillance satellites.
Anvils people kept away from both floors as much as possible. Jennings men may partially believe what they’d been told but to actually see leather clad immortals was another thing all together. The only three that really got on with The Twelve was Jennings, Pat Mackinnon and Mike Edwards.
Anvil looked at the gathered men and women now minus there expensive suits and dressed in casual combat clothing. This was a first for Anvil and his discomfort showed. Absently he gently slapped his double headed hammer into the palm of his left hand.
One of the men near the front, a French man by the name of Alphonse raised a hand and asked a question before permission was granted, “I can see why you need us, if all you’ve got are toys like that thing.”
Jennings started to reprimand the man. After all he was in the employment of Anvil, or Mister Smith as he was known up until a few months ago. Anvil placed his hand on Jennings arm to silence him.
“This toy is a very special weapon the like of which you’ve never seen my young friend. Here let me show you something.”
He placed the weapon on the floor, “’Boom care to try and lift it?”
Mackinnon grinned from ear to ear, stepping up he gripped the shaft with one huge hand and lifted. Well he tried to lift, but was jerked to a halt. The weapon was still firmly on the floor. Letting go he spat on the palms of both hands, grasping the shaft he jerked upwards with all his might. The hammer never budged.
Stepping back he gave the weapon a puzzled but respectful look. A buzz of interest went around the group. Anvil casually lifted up the hammer, which caused another buzz of amazement this time. Next he pointed to one of the concrete coated steel support pillars that the French man was standing next to at least sixty feet away.
“Best move away from it my French friend.”
Anvil swung the hammer around his head and let fly. It flew through the air with a whistling roar as it parted the air before it. Crash! A big chunk of concrete exploded in all directions, some of Jennings men dived for cover. The French mans head snapped round to see it had even taken out a six inch chunk of steel girder! But that wasn’t all, the hammer carried on, before amazingly turning a half circle to speed back to Anvils outstretched hand.
Anvil pointed the hammer towards the man, “This weapon was forged thousands of years ago by a method long forgotten. The steel in it was made from Iron ore taken from a meteorite. I can split open a mountain with this if I so choose. You will find that some of my people carry ‘toys’ like this. Don’t underestimate them. They are far more deadly than anything you’ve seen.”
Mackinnon raised his hand but this time waited respectfully to be heard, “I use C4 explosives Sir. Surely you can’t say that isn’t the equal of anything you’ve got?”
Anvil thought about it for a second, “Go get some will you.”
‘Boom Boom’ smiled and produced a small King Edward cigar packet from his jacket pocket, “I never leave home without some.”
Anvil went to the lift shaft and shouted upstairs, asking Priest to come down. The men and women murmured at the sight of the hugely overweight Priest.
“Priest this man says his C4’s not to be toyed with. You agree?”
Priest looked at ‘Boom Boom’, “Care to carry out an experiment?”
He asked everyone to step back and ‘Boom Boom’ to arm the explosive. Mackinnon looked to Jennings for consent. Getting a nod of conformation, he ordered all to move back a good thirty yards, before arming the pen, “ten second time. You ready?”
Priest rubbed his hands together, “On my count. Three, two, one go.”
Mackinnon cracked the packet, dropped it and ran back a good thirty feet, ordering everyone to lay flat, “It’s only a small amount, enough to say blow off a safe door. You’d better move away.”
Instead Priest was counting down. And he was WALKING TOWARDS the bomb. Four, he stood over it. Three he picked it up! Two Mackinnon shouted , “NO!” at the top of his lungs. One and Priest smiled as he clutched it to his chest with both meaty hands. There was a quiet muffled blast. Priest staggered back a step before regaining his balance. A puff of black smoke escaped from between his fingers. He threw down the remains of the explosive device, wiping bits away from his hands and chest then gave an enormous belch, “Pardon me.”
‘Boom Boom’ and the others stared at Priest in awe. Anvil thanked Priest who walked back to the lift. Anvil placed the head of his hammer on the ground and crossed his massively muscled arms across his broad chest, “We could go on like this all day but we’re not freaks in a side show. I repeat what you’ve been told. I represent a group of twelve very special people. We’re charged with the Protectorate of the Human Race. For several thousand years we have been locked in battle with hundreds of Devil sent creations, including The Dark and the creatures they control.”
Anvil saw the disbelieving looks, he could understand that, “Okay let me put it in a way you can understand. For many years we’ve been locked
in battle with a secret terrorist organisation called The Dark. All of this has been going on in secret. I won’t go into detail, suffice to say it exists. Until now the human race have been kept in the dark and protected as best as possible. But all of that has now changed. War has been declared and the Dark are recruiting others of there kind. if we are destroyed, every single…civilian on this planet will be at the whim of The Dark. Your loved ones will be in deadly danger, a danger the like of which you can never begin to comprehend or understand.”
“Now every last one of you may answer to Mister Jennings but you work for me. In the coming weeks I will be giving orders that you may not understand. You will see things that you’ve never seen before, things that no human has ever seen before. Some of you have already had a taste of this and I’m sure you will have told the others. You must obey without question or you will die. So I give you this one opportunity to leave. Oh and I forget, those that stay get triple pay. Now anyone who wants to leave, please pack up and go. You won’t be sacked you have my word on that.”
Judgement (The Twelve) Page 21