Suture (The Bleeding Worlds)

by Stone, Justus R.

Jason turned to leave, but Gwynn grabbed his arm.

  "Gwynn, we've been friends. If you want to keep it that way, let go."

  Gwynn didn't release his grip.

  "He's my grandfather," Gwynn said. "I don't want to believe he's doing anything wrong either. But we'll only find out the truth if we listen to both sides of the story. The man was about to tell us why we were taken. At least hear that out, it might explain a few things."

  Anger flared in Jason's eyes, but he stopped pulling away from Gwynn's grip.

  Katsuro took the cue to tell his story.

  "We have a few agents placed in the halls of Valhalla. They told us that Woten's grandson was being moved from one plane to another to protect him. At first, we weren't sure how to use that information. To be honest, our initial thought was to use you as a bargaining chip. Then Sophia had a vision and we realized that getting your help was far more important than that."

  "If it was just to protect Gwynn, why did they take me?" Jason asked.

  Katsuro shrugged. "You were with him. I suppose they figured it would be hard to convince Gwynn this was for his own good if they started things by killing one of his friends."

  "Oh yeah, they were real careful not to kill me," Jason scoffed.

  "In any case," Katsuro continued, "as we understand it, Woten had reason to believe Gwynn was in danger and would be better protected on Asgard. However, Sophia's vision suggests Woten is planning something you might be able to help us prevent."

  "What could he be planning that I could possibly stop?"

  "I'm…not sure," Sophia said. "It was very vague. I just know whatever it is will be bad, and if we're to have a chance, you have to be there."

  "Gwynn, you can't be seriously listening to this," Jason said.

  "I don't know. I mean, they seemed intent on bringing me here, and they could've killed us if they wanted to. Who else would bring me here to be safe?"

  "Safe from what?" Jason's voice got loud and ragged. "I mean, he still sent you on missions where you could've been killed. So what the hell is so terrible that he would have you kidnapped and brought here to protect you from?"

  Gwynn's hand wrapped around Alice's amulet.

  "The Bogeyman," he whispered.

  Jason stopped, his eyes widening. Pridament stepped closer and kept his voice low.

  "Do you mean the Anunnaki who is one of the first ones?" he asked.

  Gwynn shrugged. "I don't know. When I first arrived at Suture, I had dreams where it felt like someone was…reaching out for me. I told Woten and they just stopped. Then, on the subway out of Suture, it happened again. Alice gave me this." He pulled out the amulet from under his shirt. "She said it would keep the Bogeyman away. Last night, it did. I know it sounds crazy, but it's the only thing I can think of."

  Jason snapped his fingers. "Angie. That's why she was in your dream the other night. She's been shielding you. She can control and manipulate dreams. She just kept you shut down so he couldn't find you. But why would he be after you?"

  "How am I supposed to know? Until Fuyuko told me about him, I didn't even know he existed. Like I said, it's the only thing I can think of that Woten would want to protect me from."

  "What exactly are we talking about?" Katsuro asked.

  "A legend…or myth," Pridament said. "Or so I hoped. Gwynn, if this man truly exists, I can guess why he's after you."

  "Why?"

  "He's the one the Fallen claim is their leader. I myself never faced him, but I've heard stories—an Anunnaki so old that he predated the final evolution of humankind. Almost every dark figure in mythology has its roots in that one man. It's been so long since I've heard of him being seen, I assumed either the stories were pure fiction, or he'd somehow been destroyed. I'm sorry, Gwynn. It seems my plan hasn't been as effective as we thought."

  "Does any of this sound familiar?" Katsuro asked Sophia.

  "No, nothing like that has entered my visions."

  "What about dragons?" The words escaped Gwynn before he'd even properly thought them—as though it was the one question he'd waited the entire time to ask.

  Sophia gave a slight gasp. She brought her hand up to cover her mouth before anything else escaped. Her hand trembled. Behind that hand, she took several breaths. Seemingly satisfied she could contain herself, she lowered her hand.

  "I've had a number of dreams about dragons," she said, as though admitting her deepest secret.

  Gwynn's heart beat erratically, but his mind felt calm and clear.

  "In your dreams there's a dragon who is evil, and one that is good."

  She nodded, her expression full of bewilderment. "How could you know that?"

  "The Sophia in my world told me. At the time she…" His mind filled with images of Sophia, bedraggled and mad, rambling words he thought were nonsense. If only he'd known. "…she couldn't really tell me all the details."

  Katsuro and the others looked at Sophia expectantly.

  "It's like that, but not so clear. I mean, there are two dragons. In some dreams, one of them wins, and it seems like a good thing. Sometimes the opposite happens—the other wins and the world looks like a horror movie. So I guess one could be seen as evil and the other good, but the more times I have dreams with them, I don't know if it's as simple as the good one wins and everything is perfect."

  Katsuro sighed. "This gets more complicated by the minute. When were you going to tell us about these dragons?"

  "I wasn't." She looked to Gwynn. "Until he said something, I thought they were just dreams. Not everything I dream is a vision."

  "Enough." Anger and frustration masked Katsuro's face. "What we know for certain is Woten wanted Gwynn here and the Aesir are about to do something that might be bad for us." He spun on Pridament. "You came here, promising us aid. You deliver us an oracle who you say will be able to help us, and all we end up doing is chasing shadows. Now we've kidnapped Woten's grandson on her say so. We're risking serious retaliation and for what?"

  Pridament held up his hands defensively. "Please, Katsuro, I understand your frustration. I assure you we are on the right path. Your own informants have confirmed what Sophia has told you regarding some grand plan. This other information isn't something we should consider right now. Instead, we stick to our original plans and we'll address whatever comes after."

  "I hope all this is worth it," Katsuro stabbed the air with a pointed finger. "Because if my people die for nothing I'll hold you just as responsible as Woten."

  Katsuro stalked back the way he'd come, pausing only long enough to smash a fist into a crate that flew several feet and crashed against a wall.

  Pridament's shoulders sagged. "He has a point—we're working off too little information. I'm sorry, Sophia, for what he said. I know you can't control what visions you have."

  Sophia looked ready to cry. She nodded a small thanks to Pridament, turned, and walked-ran away.

  "What about those of us who were innocent bystanders?" Jason asked. "Is there any train to take me home?"

  "You have three options. You can stay here, you can join us on our mission tomorrow, or eventually someone might be available to drive you back to the crossroads and you can hope one of your friends comes with a tether that'll allow you to return home."

  "Or you could just take me across the Veil back to my home," Jason said.

  Pridament's eyebrow raised. "Really? You'd cross the Veil? I thought that was against your rules."

  Jason shrugged. "Desperate times."

  "Huh. Well, you can hate me if you like, but I'm not taking you across the Veil. I need to be here, and I won't risk having some kid go mad on me during the trip. If you want to wait until after this operation tomorrow, I'll try with you then. You know the risks."

  "Either way, it sounds like I'm stuck here for a while," Jason groused.

  "Yes, or you could join us and see the truth for yourself."

  Jason's jaw worked, grinding against his indecision.

  "I'll sleep on it."

&nbs
p; Pridament showed them to a single-storey, concrete building lacking features except a few grimy windows. The rooms they were assigned shared the same bare concrete walls as the exterior and were decorated with a single twin bed, set of drawers, and no curtains on the windows. Gwynn realized the grime wasn't dirt, it had been intentionally smeared on the window to provide some level of privacy in lieu of the curtains.

  "One other thing before we turn in," Jason said to Pridament. "If Katsuro is here, does that mean Fuyuko is as well?"

  Pridament looked grim. "There was. Five years ago she was the youngest member of the Valkyries. She received orders to destroy one of the settlements to set an example. She refused the order. So she was the one Woten made an example of."

  "Five years ago? She would've only been thirteen." Each word Jason spoke shook with rage.

  "I know. That was why Katsuro left the Einherjar and joined the rebels. He left a life of luxury for this."

  "What about Fuyuko's parents?" Jason asked.

  "In this world there is no Suture. There are only those who are Anunnakis and those who are not. Both their parents were not, and so they lived in one of the underground dwellings. Both children were taken when they were very young. I doubt Katsuro even knows if his parents are still alive."

  "I can't believe this. And you say this is our Woten?"

  "As much as I hate to admit it, there appears to be only one Woten. If there were others, they've all been destroyed. Though which world this one originated on, I couldn't say." Pridament rested his hand on Jason's shoulder. "I know it's hard. This man was my father at one point. And while we certainly had our disagreements, I still thought him good at his core. I'm not sure what has changed, but I'm here to find out. Try to get some rest. It's been a hard day, and tomorrow will probably be even harder."

  14

  The Forgotten Future

  The first rays of dawn had crested the distant hills as Njord handed out the orders for the day.

  Ehwaz and Purisaz had arrived at ten the previous night—about the same time Brandt, Jackson and Caelum arrived with their story about the Bogeyman.

  "He was no big thing. I even called him Darth Asshat and he didn't do nothing," Brandt boasted.

  The boy's bravado did nothing to counteract the anxiety everyone had seeing Jackson and Caelum so shaken.

  "What exactly did you see?" Njord asked. He couldn't recall the last time someone had been in such close proximity to the Bogeyman and survived. He couldn't help but see the irony in him choosing to be called Cain. He wondered if even the man himself realized it.

  "So you believe he was hunting someone," Njord summarized.

  "Yes, sir," Jackson said. "He told us he'd followed a specific person's melody to that spot."

  "Was there any evidence who that someone was?"

  The three boys exchanged a glance and looked at the others who crowded in the room to hear the story.

  "We can't be certain," Caelum finally said, "but he seemed very interested in Gwynn's name."

  The room buzzed with people murmuring their own theories and opinions to each other. It wouldn't help to have so much speculation. Not to mention that the presence of Cain was a sizeably unaccounted for variable. Hadn't Woten said the energies in this place, and wherever else Woten had Gwynn taken, would mask the boy from detection? For the first time in centuries, Njord felt very real doubt in Woten's plans.

  He dismissed them all, encouraging them to get some sleep before the assembled teams did a full sweep of the city in the morning. Considering the whisperings from the trailers, he doubted most got more than an hour or two of real sleep.

  "Should we continue with the plan?" Njord asked Woten after establishing a com link and relaying the story of the boys meeting Cain.

  "Yes," Woten replied. "We've been waiting for a long time for this opportunity. Besides, I have reason to believe that Mr. Takeda and his daughter could become an issue for us, and I'd like our plan well beyond their interference."

  "Fuyuko? She always seemed so loyal."

  "Let's just say she's looking very hard for some information that might undermine her loyalty to us."

  "I understand," Njord said. And he did. There was only one piece of information Suture hid that would cause her to no longer believe in them. He couldn't even say he would blame her for feeling that way. He might too, if the situation were reversed.

  Now twenty-five tired, sombre faces looked expectantly at him. Dutiful little soldiers, lining up eagerly to die.

  Njord shook his head and rubbed sleep from his blurry eyes. He had to confess he hadn't slept well either. He split the combined eighteen members of Purisaz and Ensuz into three teams of six and left the remaining seven members of Ansuz as their own team. Each team was assigned a quarter of the city, a shortwave radio, as well as a flare gun.

  "As you know, direct voice communications back to base have proven to be impossible. If you get into trouble, use your flare gun and do your best to stay in that area. Under no circumstances should anyone split away from their assigned team. We think the shortwave radios might work, so test them once you arrive in your assigned areas. Since we don't know who, or what, we're dealing with, strength in numbers is the best advantage we can give ourselves. Your mission is simple, find Gwynn and Jason, or evidence leading to their recovery. I will remain here at camp. If your team finds something, drive until you are just outside of the city barrier and your cell phone should work. Contact me and I will reassess. If something major happens requiring the attention of the entire team, I will fire a flare from here. Is this clear?"

  They all answered with a resounding 'Yes, Sir.' that belied their tired appearances.

  He watched them pile into their assigned vehicles and drive toward the city.

  Despite years of preparing himself for this moment, Njord couldn't help but feel guilty.

  §

  Alice had never been in a vehicle driven by Brandt. Thanks to the vocal protests of her teammates, she never would be. In a five to one vote—Alice had abstained—Marie had been put in the driver's seat and was now driving in a calm and orderly fashion to their designated search area. Which made everyone, except for Brandt, pleased. She couldn't deny a mischievous desire to see what Brandt would be like in the driver's seat—maybe she'd stick around longer to get the chance.

  Besides the odd grumbling from Brandt, the car remained mostly in silence. She felt it like a weight pressing an accusatory finger down on her. She'd live with it.

  She'd known what had to be done since the building appeared in the cornfield. Now, as the sun rose, she tried to comfort herself with one thought, By now they've met. So long as that was true, everything else was manageable.

  Just before the crossing point, where they would pass from this world into the between place, she saw a group of men in the distance working on odd machinery. She twisted in the back seat, trying to see if the same scene unfolded on the other side, but she couldn't see through the crush of bodies between her window and the opposite side. Honestly, just because a van could fit seven, why couldn't they have taken more than one vehicle? Maybe then she could've found out why the others feared Brandt's driving so much.

  She turned back, trying to see more of the men and the work they were doing. It was possible it had to do with Suture doing further research, but she thought Njord would've mentioned that. She contemplated asking one of the others, but she suspected even though only Brandt had been vocal about blaming her for Jason and Gwynn's loss, the others felt the same. How could she believably deny that accusation when it was true?

  They'd already gone too far, and the men were beyond her sight. What happened next? She closed her eyes, letting her imagination go to the massive storehouse in her mind, searching the filing cabinets and computers for information regarding this time—she found it lacking. How could that be? She'd known enough to leave Gwynn and Jason behind. Why hadn't she planned further? She'd focused so much on that one event, she'd neglected her own role in events
beyond. She bit her lower lip, scolding herself for her own shortsightedness. Her pulse quickened and she had the sudden urge to fold away from the car and resume her detachment. Maybe she should cross the Veil and find the two of them. After all, it might be nice to see them together again. How long had it been?

  She shook her head. What was she thinking?

  Fear.

  It took her a few moments to recognize it. Funny, having spent so long knowing fate intended her to reach a certain point, she'd simply stopped being afraid for her own safety.

  They crossed the line between worlds, sending a chill snaking down her spine.

  Do I die here? She wondered. It would explain why I don't know what will happen.

  She looked to the other occupants of the van. Would they all die as well? Would Gwynn never hear her full story? The thought made her tremble.

  "You scared?" Brandt asked, giving her a raised eyebrow.

  "Why?" she stammered.

  Brandt shrugged. "You look even whiter than normal. Oh, and you're shaking like it's negative fifty."

  "Did you really call the Bogeyman Darth Asshat?" she asked, not wanting to talk about her feelings anymore.

  A smile spread across his face. "Yeah. Dude didn't say a thing. I bet he knew he shouldn't pick a fight with me."

  "Maybe he just couldn't stand to talk to you because of your stinking breath," Natalie said from the seat ahead.

  "Shut up." Brandt crossed his arms and sank into his seat.

  "He really did call him Darth Asshat," Caelum said. Brandt sat a little straighter. "And I don't think our surviving had anything to do with Brandt's halitosis. If it did, I hope he doesn't ever brush his teeth."

  Laughter erupted within the van.

  "Seriously," Jackson said, "that guy was scary as hell. Even if we had Woten with us, I'd still be freaked."

  "Let's not talk about this anymore."

  "Why, Wade?" Brandt asked. "Is it gonna make you puke?"

  Verbal barbs were thrown around the van, with virtually no one escaping harm. Alice settled in her seat, the noise and laughter a welcome distraction.