by Barry Reese
Elsa was wiping a bit of grease off her face when she heard movement behind her. Without turning, she assumed it was still Sun Koh. “Do you need the flashlight, Herr Koh?” she asked, knowing that it was becoming pitch black outside the sphere of light she’d set up so she could work.
“For a girl so slight and so young, you’re quite a morsel.”
Elsa froze in place, immediately recognizing that those words did not emerge from the lips of Sun Koh. She slowly turned her head to see Arthur Grin standing there, his lips twisted into a terrible leer. Elsa wasn’t sure how to respond given that she was mostly unfamiliar with men hitting on her. She managed a mumbled “Thank you” and set to putting away her tools.
“Are you a virgin?”
Grin’s question made Elsa jump. “Why would you ask something like that?” she gasped, unconsciously wrapping her arms around her upper boy. “We don’t know each other.”
“I’d like to know you,” Grin said, moving closer. His eyes seemed like dip pits of unending darkness and Elsa found the lack of passion there even more frightening than his words. She sensed the danger she was in but felt like a deer caught in the headlights of an approaching vehicle. She couldn’t avert her gaze from his and she began to tremble all over. “I’d like to be your first,” he added in a lower tone. “When I was with the Inuit people, I made use of their women but it was unsatisfying. There’s something about the first to plow those fields that is so intoxicating. Virgin territory, so to speak.” He laughed then, though there was not a trace of humor in it.
Elsa suddenly bolted, trying to step around him, but Grin caught her up in his steely grip and shoved her to the ground. Though he didn’t weigh very much, he felt like a sack of potatoes on top of the small girl. She struggled but Grin caught her with a painful backhand that brought blood to her lower lip. He placed one hand around her throat and squeezed.
“You make a sound and I’ll kill you,” he said calmly. “Do you understand?”
Elsa nodded, tears filling her eyes. She suddenly wished her father were here and the thought of him made her feel ashamed. Maybe her tormentors had been right—she was no true heir to Jan Mayen. She was just a little girl playing dress-up…
Grin relaxed his grip on her neck, sensing the defeat in her spirit. He sat up and began tugging her pants down, revealing the soft downy fluff of her pubic patch. His eyes drank in her nudity and he quickly pushed his own trousers down, revealing his desire to her frightened eyes.
“Please,” she whispered. “Don’t do this.”
Grin paused, his eyes traveling the length of her body. They settled on her face, watching as a tear ran from the corner of her eye. He leaned forward, tongue extended, and swept it from her face. He groaned at the salty taste and roughly shoved her legs apart. He placed himself at her entrance and shoved, causing her to scream in agonized despair. She was dry and her vaginal walls ripped terribly as he forced himself deeper.
Grin was grunting into Elsa’ ear and so he didn’t hear the approach of footsteps behind him. He cried out in surprise when he felt someone grab him by the collar and yank him to his feet. He slid out of Elsa with a sickening sound and Elsa immediately rolled onto her side, moving into a fetal position.
Grin gasped as he felt something sharp come to rest at the base of his erect penis. He turned his head to see that Imelda held him by the scruff of his neck, while Akemi brandished her katana dangerously close to his manhood.
“Looks like we interrupted something,” Akemi said with a sneer. She leaned close to Grin and bared her teeth. “What’s the matter, Arthur? Are you afraid to deal with a grown woman? Is that why you prefer little girls?” With every word, she pressed a little harder with the edge of her blade until Grin felt the skin break and a warm trickle of blood roll over his scrotum.
“She wanted it,” Grin whispered calmly. “You saw her. She wasn’t screaming or fighting.”
Imelda reached up and took a firm grip on Grin’s hair, yanking hard. “Is that true, Elsa? Did you want to rut with this pig?”
Elsa sat up slowly, wiping her nose with the back of a hand. Her eyes were red and angry, matching the vitriol in her shaky voice. “He’s a liar,” she hissed. “I didn’t ask for that.”
Akemi’s eyes glittered. “Seems like you misinterpreted her desires. Are you going to apologize?”
Grin shrugged his shoulders as much as possible. “Of course. Elsa… I’m sorry.”
The girl sniffled, looking away. It was at this moment that Sun Koh and Käthe walked into the scene. They found everyone bathed in flashlight, Grin’s erection having wilted under the pressure of the blade.
“What is going on?” Sun Koh demanded, using the tones of a born leader.
Imelda gestured with her chin towards Elsa. “Our pilot was raped by Mr. Grin.”
Sun Koh moved swiftly to Elsa’s side, kneeling to examine her. She flinched at his touch, obviously ashamed, but he soothed her with kind words. When he saw the blood around her vaginal opening, he turned angry eyes towards Grin. “Arthur, explain this.”
“The girl had been looking at me earlier. I thought she was interested. When I approached her, she seemed tentative but I assumed it was because of her youth. She did not cry out when I began touching her.”
Sun Koh gestured towards Elsa’s lip, which was swollen and bloody. “And this?”
“She asked me to hit her. I was shocked, to say the least, to find one so young who was so… well, forgive me for saying so… slutty. She said she liked it rough.”
Sun Koh stood up slowly. He approached Grin, their eyes locked on one another’s. “I have killed many men in the pursuit of my goals. Bloodshed and violence are things I have grown accustomed to. But forcing yourself on a girl, one who is just past being a child… I cannot stomach that and I cannot allow it to exist in the Aryan paradise that I plan to create. Akemi, please remove the offending member.”
Grin moved so quickly that not even the two Furies holding him could react. He slammed his head backwards, catching Imelda on the forehead. She released her grip on his hair and neck, allowing him to catch Akemi with a sharp blow to the chin. Her blade slid along the underside of his penis, drawing a deep cut but not severing it.
Grin spun away from them, well aware of Käthe’s presence. He struck her in the chest with the flat of his right foot, driving her back. Then he whirled about to face Sun Koh, dropping into a martial arts fighting stance.
The Man of Destiny had remained unmoved during all this. If anything, the expression on his face had darkened, reflecting his displeasure at being betrayed. He had taken Arthur Grin into his confidence and now he was facing the man in open combat.
It called Sun Koh’s decision making into question and that did not please the Heir of Atlantis.
“I’m going to take over this expedition,” Grin was saying. “That gun of yours can help me bring peace to this world.”
“You talk of peace after raping a woman?” Sun Koh asked.
“I was giving her a blessing, allowing her to lay with a real man for her first sexual experience. She should be thanking me.”
Sun Koh danced forward, his body moving with flawless grace. He seized Grin by the wrist and yanked him forward. He slammed an elbow into the back of Grin’s head and then flipped him through the air, sending the man tumbling onto his back. Sun Koh then kicked Grin on the side of the head, causing the fallen man to cry out in pain. But Grin was not defeated just yet. He snatched out with his hand and grabbed hold of Sun Koh’s leg. He sat up as he drove his other fist into the Aryan’s kneecap. Sun Koh grimaced as pain flared through his leg. He yanked himself free but found that putting all of his weight on that limb was now impossible.
Grin did an impressive flip to get to his feet, spitting out some blood before rushing towards Sun Koh. He caught the Atlantean with quick jabs on each side of his face before Sun Koh drove a punch into Grin’s midsection. Sun Koh then grabbed hold of Grin’s penis with one powerful hand. The intense p
ain was enough to give Grin pause and he winced, unable to respond physically.
“You escaped the blade,” Sun Koh whispered, “but you cannot escape my justice. Let this be a lesson to any who betray me!” The Man of Destiny yanked with all his incredible strength, stretching the already bloodied flesh. He kept pulling until Grin’s penis came loose with a hideous rending sound, blood spraying the ground and Sun Koh’s jodhpurs.
Grin fell back, shock already setting in. He fell to his knees, his groin a ruined mess. Sun Koh tossed the man’s sexual organ to the ground. He caught Akemi’s eye and gestured her closer. “Kill him,” he ordered.
The Japanese woman needed no further encouragement. She raised her katana and brought it across in a swiping motion, cleaving through flesh and bone. Grin’s head flew into the air, spinning end over end before landing at Elsa’s feet. The girl didn’t scream at the gory sight, however. Instead, she began to laugh. It was not a pleasant sound, as it contained more than a trace of madness.
Käthe came towards the girl, helping her to her feet. “Let’s go get you cleaned up,” she whispered, wrapping an around Elsa’s shoulders. “It’s going to be okay.”
“I know it will be,” Elsa said, a manic grin on her face. “He’s dead. Chopped his head off!”
Käthe exchanged a worried glance with Sun Koh before leading the younger girl away. “Akemi and Imelda… help me, won’t you?”
The Furies followed their leader, Imelda tentatively feeling her head and wincing. Grin’s attack had left her dazed but mostly unharmed.
When the girls were gone back to camp, Sun Koh relaxed the breath he’d been holding. Arthur Grin’s betrayal had wounded Sun Koh on a personal level and left him with the unusual feeling that perhaps he had not made the wisest of decisions. But he also knew that with the correct handling of the situation, this might draw the women tighter to him. They were all pleased with how he handled the matter. He could see that in their expressions. He only hoped that Elsa Mayen would be able to pull herself together.
Sun Koh turned to face the lights in the distance. Somewhere, not far away in the grand scheme of things, the President of the United States was readying himself for bed. The President had no idea that death was readying itself for a visit.
CHAPTER XI
Pieces of the Puzzle
Mr. Benson was a most unusual man. He was neither particularly tall nor wide but he possessed a rugged strength that spoke of many physical pursuits. His hair was white and close-cropped. His eyes were pale gray, though there was the occasional flash of blue, as if chips of ice lurked beneath the surface. His face was the most peculiar aspect of his appearance, however. It was so dead and white that he looked like he’d just crawled from a fresh grave.
His clothing stood in marked contrast to those he passed on his way through the halls of the Pentagon. While most men here wore either carefully tailored dark suits or military uniforms, Benson wore a gray jumpsuit that appeared to be completely without pockets. This was quite an illusion, however, as the interior of the suit was lined with a number of storage areas, each pocket containing useful devices or weapons.
Benson nodded now and then at men he passed and he was acutely aware that few of those he passed were willing to stop and talk to him. There was an air of gravity about Benson, a singularity of purpose that made others uneasy. They all knew his story, of course: of how his wife and daughter had been snatched away from, throwing Benson’s features into paralysis and sending him down a one-way trip to hell. Benson had forged in the crucible of his pain, becoming something both more and less than human. He had spent years hunting the predators of the innocent before moving to Washington, D.C. Now he helped the government deal not only with Fifth Columnists and gangsters but with those enemies who sought nothing less than world domination.
When he approached his office, a young woman stood up and moved around the desk that rested in front of his door. She was as slim and dainty looking as a Dresden doll but Benson knew she possessed the fiery heart of a warrior. “Chief, there’s someone here to see you,” she said.
Benson cast a quick glance around but saw no one waiting in the two chairs reserved for such purpose.
“I went ahead and let him inside. I hope that’s okay.”
Benson’s eyes were the only part of his face capable of showing surprise and they did just that. No one was ever allowed into his office when he wasn’t there, not even the lovely woman standing in front of him. “I take it that I know this person?”
“Yes. He’s an old friend… from Atlanta.”
Benson stared at her for a moment and then nodded, reaching out with a steady hand to open his office. He stepped inside and closed the door behind him, his eyes scanning the office. Though most people would have seen nothing in the shadows, Benson immediately spotted Max Davies standing in the corner. Max stepped forward. He looked tired but otherwise unharmed. He had left his mask and weapons outside, not wanting to try and sneak them into the Pentagon. In fact, the only reason he’d gotten in at all had been that he’d directly namedropped Benson.
“Mr. Davies,” Benson said, moving around the desk to sit down in a plush chair. The top of the desk was incredibly well ordered, with only a few small stacks of folders set on the corner. “I’m surprised you didn’t simply call me.”
“I was in the area and thought I’d drop in to say hello.” Max sat down across from Benson, leaning forward. “Can I speak freely?”
Benson nodded. “There are no recording devices in this office. I’ve made sure of that.”
“I wasn’t sure if you’d be in Washington. I did call your New York office first but one of your agents told me that you were here.”
“I’m spending most of my time in Washington, at least for the duration of the war.”
“I need your help.”
“You know I’m always prepared to assist you.”
“Are you familiar with Sun Koh?”
“Yes. He’s an Aryan superman who vanished several years ago. Rumors suggest that he’s returned but that the Reich isn’t happy about it. We’ve picked up reports that indicate he’s been marked for assassination by no less than Hitler himself.”
Max didn’t bother trying to hide his confusion. “Why in the world would Hitler want Sun Koh dead?”
“Because he views Sun Koh as a threat to him. Sun Koh is everything that Hitler is not these days: he’s handsome, he’s the epitome of everything that an Aryan is supposed to be… and most importantly, he isn’t tainted by the growing doubts of those around him. Sun Koh has yet to lose—while Hitler’s victories are coming slower than before and with more loose ends. If Sun Koh wanted to challenge Hitler for leadership of Germany, he’d have a good chance of swaying the populace.”
Max took a moment to digest that before he continued, using the words he’d rehearsed on the way over. “Sun Koh is here, in America. He’s hidden somewhere along the Potomac River and he’s got a super-weapon that he’s planning to use against Washington. He’s going to kill thousands of people.”
“How do you know this?”
Max hesitated. “I had a vision. My dead father sometimes sends me glimpses of the future… I saw what was going to happen.”
Benson regarded Max coolly, his eyes searching the other man’s face. “You know that I can’t officially authorize anything based on that.”
“But you believe me, don’t you?”
“I have never experienced the supernatural, though many of my enemies have claimed to possess such powers. Always, it ended up being lies or deception, rather than true occult powers.”
“I’m not lying.”
“I didn’t say you were. I simply said that I have never experienced the supernatural myself.” Benson stood up and moved to the window, which overlooked a staff parking lot. “As I said, I cannot officially authorize anything… however, unofficially, I can give you what assistance I can.” Benson turned his head slightly to look at Max. “What would you need?”
“I don’t know where along the Potomac he’s hiding but he arrived by plane. An atomic plane, one invented by his old assistant Jan Mayen. It’s supposedly invisible to radar but they couldn’t hide it once it was on the ground. I’d like to take my own plane and fly it along the river’s length, looking for him. Once I find him, I’m prepared to deal with him and his allies personally. But his weapon—it generates a beam of light that destroys everything it touches. Just to be safe… I think you should evacuate the city, particularly the areas nearest the White House and the monuments.”
“That’s asking quite a lot.”
“You know you can trust me, Benson. You helped get the police off my back and I’ll always appreciate that. Since then, I’ve been able to help a hell of a lot more people than I would have otherwise. So believe me when I say that I know how hard this is: you’d be putting your faith in a man who just told you his dead father told him this information. But I could have come here and lied. I could have told you that I’d found this out from an informant or that I’d personally heard Sun Koh describe his plans. I chose not to do that because I didn’t want to lie to you, even if it meant you might not believe me.”
Benson looked back outside and finally gave a curt nod. “I’ll speak to the President myself. I think I can convince him to evacuate the White House and close the monuments and museums for a few days. The press can simply be told that we’ve uncovered a plot by Fifth Columnists. There’s simply not way I can do more than that—the panic that would ensue if we evacuated the entire city would be immeasurable. How long do you think you’ll need?”
“Two or three days should be more than enough.” Max stood up and approached Benson. He offered a hand in thanks, suspecting that Benson wouldn’t take it. The man seemed to eschew physical contact. To his great surprise, Max felt Benson clasp his hand, squeezing it in a firm grip.