Flight

by Jason Cheek

“No Detective, I did not. Can you explain to me what has that got to do with my question?”

  “Beth!”

  “Hold for a sec, Sir.”

  Looking over her shoulder, Beth cocked an eye at Startüm as he spoke around a mouth full of cheese burger.

  “Do you have any officers who can use a compound bow?”

  “Several, why?”

  I have some arrows that should damage the Scourge.”

  “Scourge?”

  “Yea, those gray humanoid things with the long claws and fangs.”

  Frowning for a moment in thought, she spoke into her cell phone.

  “Chief, is Officer Rawlings, Johnson or Murphy on the scene?”

  “Yea, all three of them are on-site. Why?”

  “Tell them to leave their shotguns behind, and to bring their bows instead.”

  “That doesn’t make any sense, Detective.”

  “I know Sir, but please give the order. I am the officer on the scene.”

  She could hear the irritation in his voice, but the Chief had always trusted her judgment before. She prayed that he would take her lead on this as well.

  “Good enough. We can talk about this once you’re here. I just received confirmation that we should have eyes in the sky over your location any minute now.”

  “Good, then I’ll let them explain what we are up against Chief.”

  “That’s highly unusual Detective.”

  “Chief, this is a highly unusual situation. Excuse me Sir, but I need to focus on my driving. Expect us in about fifteen minutes.”

  “Watch your back Detective.”

  “Yes Sir. See you shortly, Chief.”

  “Goodbye Detective.”

  Slipping the phone back into her jacket, Beth rolled her eyes at the words coming from the backseat.

  “So it’s Beth, not Angela?”

  Annoyed, she began explaining.

  “Look, no Undercover Detective uses their real name on assignment.”

  She saw Startüm smiling at her words in the mirror.

  “I’m not criticizing, I was just asking for clarification.”

  “Yes, it’s Beth.” She bit the words off. Annoyed at having to give her real name to the undercover suspect she had been assigned to watch.

  Switching topics, Startüm commented offhandedly.

  “I see you’ve decided to let someone else explain what’s chasing us to your Chief?”

  Exasperated, Beth began gesturing excitedly with her hands while she drove.

  “Really, what am I going to say? Yes Chief, I’m being chased by a mutant spider crocodile as large as a semi truck along with twenty alien nightmarish creatures racing behind it.”

  “Twenty-one actually.”

  Grabbing the steering wheel with both hands, Beth slid the SUV around the corner onto Hibiscus Lane as she raced past the ripped bodies and crushed vehicles scattered on either side of the road heading to Startüm’s place. Quickly, she slid to a stop in front of the wrecked building. Looking around, Beth shivered as the emergency vehicles’ silent strobing lights threw an eerie pale over the street. Jumping out of the SUV, Startüm yelled back over his shoulder.

  “Wait here. I’ll be back in just a moment.” With that, he jumped. Dumbfounded she watched him sail into the air, clear through one of the larger holes in the second floor wall.

  “Yea.”

  Shaking her head, she muttered darkly.

  “I’ll just wait right here for you to come back.”

  Seconds later, he was jumping back into the backseat with two large bags and a compound bow in his hands. Beth stepped on the gas as soon as she heard the door slam shut.

  Speeding down Hibiscus Lane once again, she threw the vehicle into a slide as she skidded back onto US 1, when the building next to them exploded in a cloud of concrete blocks and debris as the grongor blasted onto the street behind them. As if in slow motion, Beth saw two black shapes spring from the creature’s back to land on top of the SUV as she whipped around the corner.

  A second later, a clawed fist slammed through the roof slashing around wildly inside the cab. Before she could react, a claw hand slashed through the shoulder of her arm holding the steering wheel. Screaming in pain, Beth looked at the ragged bleeding stump where her shoulder had been just a moment ago. Somehow, she managed to grab ahold of the steering wheel with her right hand as she focused on keeping pressure on the gas. As if from far away, she heard Startüm’s words ring hollowly in her ears.

  “Stay down!”

  * * *

  Reaching for the bag with my weapons, I wrapped my hand around the handle of my Katana. Whipping the blade free, I spun around slicing in a wide arc through the SUV as glass shattered throughout the vehicle. Slamming my palm into the roof of the vehicle, the wind grabbed the heavy sheet flipping it upright into the air. Standing up, I slashed diagonally across the metal as the runic blade sliced cleanly through the roof and the two Scourge clinging to the backside like a hot knife through butter. Pieces of metal and bloody chunks of Scourge hit the ground a second later, bouncing behind the speeding vehicle. Moving fast, I scooped Beth up in my arms as she stared in shock at the bloody stump of her shoulder.

  Quickly, I picked up her bleeding limb from where it still hung gripping the steering wheel. Pressing it gently against her bloody shoulder, I prayed softly to Ukko.

  “Helbrede.”

  The shock faded from Beth’s eyes as she looked at me in amazement, gripping the steering wheel once again with both hands. Smiling gently, I patted her now whole shoulder.

  “Detective, try to more careful in the future. I don’t have extra energy to spare if I’m going to deal these creatures.”

  Before she could think of an appropriate sarcastic retort, her cell phone started ringing again. Sitting back, I shoved another cheese burger into my mouth as I started pulling out my armor from one of the duffle bags I’d grabbed. Now that the roof had been removed, I could see a Police Helicopter trailing us high overhead as bits of the conversation came to me on the blowing wind.

  “Yes I’m alright, Chief … I thought that was best … from what I’ve been told it’s called a grongor … yea, those things are Scourge …”

  Ignoring the rest of the conversation, I sat back and began strapping my armor into place.

  The two and a half years I’d spent in Japan learning kenjutsu had profoundly influenced the style of my armor. I stole from everywhere, but the main design was roughly based on the ‘Do Maru’ Samurai armor of the Heian period, used during the Genpei War in Japan. The Japanese culture, even in modern times, spent an enormous amount of time discussing the strengths and weaknesses of the various armor styles from their Samurai past, and had craftsmen that, even now, forged armor following the traditional techniques. Unlike the present day armor makers of Japan that chose to remake their armor designs in exact detail to honor their ancient ancestors. My goal had been to forge the best armor possible using the strongest metals Earth had to offer, since all the tinnearlian metal from Grandsire’s Great Sword had gone into the creation of my Katanas and tanto I now carried.

  First, I pulled on the leather armored jacket and pants with sewn in scales made from a titanium iron alloy. It was flexible enough to allow freedom of movement, and thick enough to serve as padding for the armored plates that would go on top. Similar to the armor I was donning, the leather along with each scale had been inscribed with individual Rök runes for strength and protection against various types of attacks. The armored chest plates, or ‘Do’ in Japanese, were strapped into place next, before attaching the shoulder and upper arm guards, or ‘Sode’. Instead of the bulky shoulder guards typical of traditional Samurai armor, my guards were much smaller. The pieces cascaded down my shoulders in tight overlapping scales attached using a synthetic silk that was advertised as being stronger than steel. Lacing on my steel reinforced work boots, I strapped my shin guards in place before attaching the six piece armored plate skirt around my waist. Next, I stra
pped my Katanas in place on my back, and slid the tanto into its sheath at my waist, before attaching my forearm guards. Lastly, I donned the stylized wolf helmet on my head, or Kabuto, and pulled on my titanium iron laced leather gloves.

  It wasn’t lacquered like traditional Samurai armor, but it didn’t need to be since I was using the titanium iron alloy for the metal. Instead of the intense colors associated with traditional Samurai armor, mine was a dull grayish black, which was created from the natural color of the alloy. It wasn’t as strong as an entire suit made from the tinnearlian metal of my homeworld, but it was the best I could do. Using Earth’s strongest metals, I’d forged my own alloys, and then strengthened the design even further using Rök runes. I’d end up with an amazingly strong and lightweight suit of armor that had the strength to dissipate solid hits, and the flexibility I needed for my fighting style.

  Beth’s sudden shout brought me back to the present. We were just passing by Old Dixie Highway as we raced down Blue Heron Boulevard heading for the CTA headquarters we had left maybe forty minutes ago.

  “We are going to be arriving any second, and those creatures are right behind us. We need a plan!”

  “Oh my goodness gracious!” Susan’s southern accent always came out strong when she was surprised. Seeing her bleached white face, I handed her one of the remaining cheese burgers as Beth looked over her shoulder followed Susan’s gaze, since she no longer had a rearview mirror.

  Shaking her head, Beth sighed heavily.

  “Great, I can just see how well this is going to go over already, and the testosterone hasn’t even begun to fly!”

  “I don’t understand why you’re so worked up. From what I’ve heard of your conversation they’ve seen what we are up against, and had time to check out the video of what happened earlier on Channel 29 News. Just give your orders and expect that they will be followed.”

  “Obviously, you haven’t been introduced to our very own Sergeant O’Reilly in charge of our local SWAT teams.”

  Looking back at me sadly she continued. “Do you have any idea how much of a nut case you look like right now? Do you have any idea how Officers respond to crazies?” Focusing back on the road, she shook her head. “Great! I can see it now, we will be one giant cluster fuck by the time those creatures arrive, and half of the team will be wiped out before they even know what’s happening.”

  “Leave the Sergeant O’Reilly problem to me. I know how to handle people like that.”

  Ignoring Beth’s raised eyebrow, I continued.

  “We have three Officers who can handle compound bows, right?”

  “Make that four.” Seeing my questioning look Beth explained. “I’m the fourth Officer that makes up the Riviera Beach Police Department’s archery team for State competitions.”

  “Good, then you can use my bow if you can handle the weight of its draw.”

  “What is that supposed to mean? You think just because I’m a woman that I can’t manage your super bow.”

  “And you were worried about the testosterone flying.”

  Ignoring her rolling eyes, I continued laying out the plan. “I need the four of you to fall back with Susan. Find someplace with a clear view of the parking lot, but far enough away not to draw the Scourge attention immediately. You guys will do that soon enough. By the way, if you can get a clear shot on the black cloak rider, take it.”

  “What do you want the SWAT and APC teams to do?”

  “Try to have the APC teams run down the Scourge, and hopefully the SWAT team will be able to at least annoy the creatures with their AP rounds.”

  “It sounds like you don’t think they’re going to be much help.”

  “Not really. Your weapons just aren’t strong enough to penetrate their natural armor.”

  Following the conversation, Susan piped up. “What’s your plan of attack?”

  “I’m going after the grongor first, and then the barbed horror. By then hopefully we can focus everything we’ve got on the black cloak rider.”

  Seeing the surprised look on both women’s faces, I explained my reasoning.

  “The rider is their assault leader, so yea I’m worried.”

  Chapter 12

  Location Earth / Florida present day:

  In stunned disbelief, the Riviera Beach Police Officers watched the wrecked armored SUV pull to a stop near the APC’s and SWAT units parked in front of the destroyed entrance to the Counter Terrorist Agency’s Headquarters. Surprise turned into contempt for Sergeant O’Reilly as he saw Detective Kurwoski exiting the vehicle with some Renaissance crazy in full regal striding behind her.

  “Well looky here, its Kurwoski and her sidekick, Samurai Vader, here to save the day.”

  Sergeant O’Reilly was of the old school mindset that women should have never left home. He was from a proud line of Police Men, ‘blue blood’ through and through, and resented having women on the Force, especially any that had the audacity to give him a command. The Force was for men, and should have never been opened up to allow Women, in his mind.

  Unfortunately, Police Chief Timothy Darden didn’t share his perspective.

  “Sergeant O’Reilly, I thought I’d already made this point clear. Detective Kurwoski will be taking the lead on this.”

  Flinging his arms in the air, Sergeant O’Reilly disregarded the Detective without a second thought as he laid into the Chief.

  “Kurwoski’s has never been a part of SWAT! I don’t see how …”

  The verbal tirade came to a choking stop as I strode past Beth and grabbed the Sergeant by the front of his flak jacket. Lifting him five feet off the ground, I stared into his eyes.

  I knew the Sergeant’s type well enough, and imagined his team was more of the same. Seeing me casually straight arm lift the Sergeant who stood six two and had to weigh a solid two hundred forty pounds, not to mention the extra hundred pounds of gear he wore on top of that, immediately got everyone’s attention. Moving me out of the ‘crazy nut’ category, and into the ‘scary badass’ category.

  What can I say, Grandsire had taught me well.

  The Sergeant arms flailed helplessly as I laid into him.

  “Is your M16 loaded with AP rounds?”

  The man stuttered as he answered my question.

  “Yes.”

  “Good!”

  Keeping a hold of the M16, I dropped Sergeant O’Reilly onto his ass as I turned to the rest of the SWAT Officers present. Taking off my glove, I pointed the M16 to my palm flipping the safety off.

  “This is currently your strongest armament your teams have on site.”

  BBBRRRIIPPPPPTTT

  The loud three second burst of gunfire made everyone jump as I caught the armor piercing bullets in my bare hand. Turning back to Sergeant O’Reilly, I bounced the flattened rounds off of his helmet, before facing the other officers with the palm of my hand held out for all to see.

  “This is how effective your weapons will be against the enemy!”

  Seeing the look of horror reflected in the Officer’s faces, I switched back on the M16’s safety. Tossing the weapon back to Sergeant O’Reilly, I faced the Police Officers once again.

  “There is no time left. You will follow Detective Kurwoski’s orders quickly and precisely if you want to live.”

  “Have I made myself clear gentlemen?”

  The men’s response echoed around me. “Yes Sir!”

  Striding past Beth, I called over my shoulder.

  “Detective, get the men moving, while I try to buy us a few more seconds.”

  Ignoring the Chief’s questioning look, Beth began screaming out orders as she saw the grongor barreling down the road.

  “Sergeant O’Reilly, your designation is Team Charlie. I want SWAT teams one, and two spread out in a half circle at max range. Go for headshot only and set your weapons to burst mode!”

  “APC’s, your designation is Team Bravo. Once you engage the enemy do not stop moving! Only target the dark gray creatures. Keep away from ev
erything else!”

  “Officer Rawlings, Johnson, Murphy and I are Team Alpha. If anyone gets into trouble, alert us immediately.”

  “Now move out!”

  Passing out the runic arrows to her team that I’d had on hand, Beth grabbed Chief Darden by the elbow guiding him with her.

  “Chief, I think it will be best if you stay with Alpha Team.”

  Watching the grongor approach, the sounds of the Officers running to their positions faded into the background as my eyes focused on the barbed horror running on the grongor’s heels. The creature that had killed Grandsire hadn’t been concerned about the injuries it had received, and I imaged this one wouldn’t react any differently.

  When I was very young, my father had me train with a Damarien named Luthar Feltalc. I vaguely remembered one of the lessons we had about powerful otherworldly beings that were sometimes forced into service by the Priestesses of Loviatar. The only appealing part of the entire lesson that I could still recall was that these creatures bodies were not real, but only magical constructs formed at the time of summoning for interaction in our reality. My six year old mind, at the time, had found the whole session incredibly tedious. Never once did it explain how the Paladins of Ukko slaughtered such beings, or anything about how they were killed, which was decidedly Klavikian. Damarien and Klavikian philosophies, being similar in nature, focused primarily on knowledge for knowledge’s sake. To the chagrin of my father, I’d found my mother’s people philosophy much more compelling when I was younger, which could be summed up simply enough by Grandsire favorite saying. “I don’t care how big and mean the thing is, if you rip its head off its going down!” Werewolves were a direct people who believed in knowledge for practical use. Now, it seemed, I was beginning to appreciate the wisdom of both races.

  I imagined the Priestesses had called these creatures into being to deal with Werewolves, not a Paladin of Ukko! Suddenly, I knew what to do.

  Placing my left hand over the holy symbol of Ukko etched into the center of my breast plate, I looked skyward drawing my Katana as my voice rang out across the parking lot.

  “Ukko gi meg styrek til å slå deg er fiender!” (Ukko give me strength to strike your enemies!)