by Sam Ferguson
I couldn’t make up my mind which was the safer option.
Rolf grabbed me by the shirt and pinned me to the wall in the corner by the open elevator shaft doors, and then he made the decision for me. His hand squeezed mine, and the most thunderous explosion shook everything around us. A flash of fire was followed by smoking hunks of debris. My head was spinning from the sheer volume of the blast. My ears rang loud and sharp, and I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to hear again. Rolf must have been hurting too, for he was bleeding from his right ear. I was fairly certain his eardrum had ruptured, but he just slapped my chest and led the way toward the door.
I grabbed the single flashlight in the duffle bag and used it to light our way, as the explosion had knocked out all of the lights around the door. I smiled when I saw the opening. The way to the engine was clear now. All we had to do was find it.
We stumbled down the hallway, our balance apparently affected by the explosion and its after effects. To be honest, I was just happy we lived through it. When we crossed the threshold of the red door, I noticed the air changed and became much cooler. I drew my sword and used the bandolier strap inside the duffle bag to carry the grenades so I wouldn’t have to lug the drab green sack around everywhere I went.
Rolf readied his weapon and sniffed the air.
I pointed to the hallway where I had seen Mateo dragged into and slain. We walked through a corridor that reminded me of an old nuclear missile bunker. Not that I had seen one outside of video games, but it looked fairly similar. Steel walls, consoles with numerous buttons, and glass panels that looked into a silo. Only thing was, there was no rocket or missile inside. Instead, there was a cube. It measured thirty feet across, high, and wide. It was really nothing special to look at, frankly. Certainly not what I had expected to say the least. The surfaces were smooth, polished to a shine, and there appeared to be no door or opening of any kind.
“Is that it?” Rolf asked.
BOOM!
Rolf’s body slammed into mine and the grand, unbeaten gatekeeper groaned.
“I knew you would come again,” Brant Rathison said as he stepped in from behind us. He opened the massive rifle he was holding by separating the barrel and the stock. “Magnificent weapon, this,” Rathison said. “I find it even keeps some of my more, sinister relatives in line when I pull it out.”
I looked down to Rolf and saw the life slipping from his angry eyes. “Sword,” Rolf whispered.
I slid down to gently lay the warrior on the ground. There was a massive hole in the right side of his chest. There was no way he would live. I reached over and grabbed the sword he had been holding before the shot and placed it in his hand.
“Thank you, Christian,” he said with a weak smile. “I will go now, to the halls of my fathers, and we will watch you from above.”
“No, not you too!” I started to cry. “You have to stay. I can’t do this without you. Rolf!”
“Pity,” Rathison said. “I expected more from the fabled three Vikings.” I looked up just as Rathison shoved a massive cartridge into the rifle and clicked it shut. “You’re an interesting one though. I saw you when you tried to sneak into my home the first time. I guess you didn’t realize that my vampire parentage gave me the ability to see you just fine. I had actually seen you upstairs in the parlor, and that was why I led you down here. I had hoped the gargoyles would finish you, but you have proven to be extremely resourceful. Then again, perhaps it was just blind luck eh? Otherwise you wouldn’t have let the trekawak grab your arm.” Rathison motioned with his chin at the welts on my wrist. I looked down and noticed they had become much darker. “You’ve been poisoned, you see, but then again I would wager you have already noticed that. Perhaps you have hesitated lately when you should have acted, or found it hard to decide what to do? That’s how it starts. The poison melts your brain, turns you into a meal for the trekawak. So you see, I’m doing you a favor now. You’re already dead, but the poison will kill you slow. I offer a quick release. It’s more honorable for a warrior, don’t you agree?”
“Do you ever shut up?” I spat. “Either pull the trigger or get out of my way.”
Rathison smirked. “You came close, I’ll give you that, but this is where it all ends.” Rathison raised the rifle to take aim.
There was no way for me to escape.
Unless…
I gripped Drendarin’s necklace in my hand and closed my eyes.
What happened in the next two seconds changed the course of human history forever.
I dropped back, and then I slipped into the dream world, sitting forward as my physical body fell behind me. As before, the mithril blade came with me into the dream world. Being much faster in this form than in the physical world, I willed myself toward Rathison. The confident billionaire’s smile vanished as he caught sight of my dream world form rushing toward him. The muzzle of the rifle shifted just an inch to the side as Rathison nervously pulled the trigger. An instant later I ran the mithril blade through his heart.
The billionaire stumbled backward as the bullet erupted out of the rifle. I watched him fall, delighted in my triumph, and then some force knocked into my left shoulder and threw me to the ground. I cried out in terrible agony as it felt like fire was ripping me apart. My arm went numb and cold, and then it fell off from my body. Panicked, I looked back to where my physical body was sitting. Only then did I realize that the bullet from Rathison’s rifle had torn off my limb. Blood was pouring out of my physical body, and I could feel my strength leaking away. I gripped Drendarin’s necklace and then stood and with all the strength and focus I had left in my dream world form, I crashed my right fist through the glass panel separating me from the terrible cube sitting in the silo.
A flash of blue light blinded me and then Drendarin stepped through. He was unarmed, but carried a strange device that looked like a box with wires coming out of it. He looked down at me. I pointed weakly to the broken window, and Drendarin knew what to do. He took two grenades from the bandolier on my physical body and reached through the broken glass and secured the grenades to the outside. When his arm came back in, his hand was full of pins. The drakkul darted away and took cover. The grenades erupted in a cacophony of sound that reverberated up through the silo and widened the hole I had made.
“There is nothing I can do for your body, my friend,” Drendarin said. “But, with this victory, I shall unite the other clans under my rule, and I will stop the drakkul from coming to your world for as long as I live.” He bent down to my dream world form and I saw a single tear falling down his green skin. “A friendship between two individuals, sealed by your sacrifice, shall create peace between our peoples.”
I weakly offered a smile and watched as Drendarin disappeared through the hole. A few moments later I heard several beeps and clicks. Then the fires of massive engines burst into life and I saw the cube fly upward through the silo. Drendarin was riding upon its side, with his strange device that he had brought through the portal strapped to his back. Daylight streamed in from above as the doors to the silo opened and let the cube escape upwards. I could only hope that Indyrith and I had not misplaced our hope. If, after all this, Drendarin used the engine to unite the seven realms, then I swore I was going to haunt that lizard-man for the rest of his miserable life.
My fears were put to rest soon, however, when I heard a massive explosion echoing down through the silo and into the hallway where I lay dying. Drendarin had destroyed the engine, and we had won.
I pushed up to my knees and stared at my physical body. The thought of sitting back inside of it was more than a little daunting. At least in the dream world, I could dampen the pain I felt. If I were to retake my physical body, then I would be at the mercy of all the nerves that were so loudly screaming out about losing my left arm and a sizable chunk of my shoulder socket.
I thought of the dogwood tree, back on my mountain. I hoped the other council members would be pleased with me. I had done the best I could. I closed my eyes and
fell forward to the ground. As the life ebbed from my physical body, I could feel my focus turning into nothingness. I rolled onto my back, wondering whether I would see that bright light talked about by so many, or whether I would simply fade away, and join the vast expanse of nothingness that seemed so close to me now.
The silence was deafening as I stared up at the ceiling.
I was almost lost to despair, and then I heard the distant sound of drums.
CHAPTER 21
The two warriors who dressed alike came to my side. They spoke to each other in their language while looking down at me and my broken physical body. One prayed over me, and the other prayed over Rolf. I watched from my dream world form as a bright white and gold light encircled my physical body, and Rolf’s as well. Then, in a blur of light and warmth, I opened my eyes to find myself back inside my body, completely whole.
“I’m alive!” I shouted.
Rolf sat up next to me and shot me a glaring eye. “Bloody hell, will the gods never let me rest?!”
I laughed and helped the Viking up to his feet. “It seems you still have work to do,” I said.
“I have half a mind to tell Thor to get his thunderous self down here and do it himself,” Rolf spat.
“Brothers!” a familiar voice called out from around the corner. “You won’t believe what happened! A valkyrie came to me, and healed my wounds.”
“Bjorn!” Rolf shouted. “Praise Odin!” Rolf rushed in and embraced Bjorn.
“When I first saw it coming to me, I almost pushed the button, but I’m sure glad I didn’t!” Bjorn held out the brick of C4 I had given him. “Here, Christian, you take it.”
I smiled and took the explosive from him. “What did the valkyrie look like?” I asked.
Bjorn frowned. “I couldn’t see very well, on account of my eye being swollen shut and dim, but I know she had darker skin and long, braided gray hair.”
“Not hair of gold?” Rolf asked skeptically.
Bjorn shrugged. “No, the hair was gray, but she was still beautiful. Her hand was warm and gentle, and she made me whole again!”
I bit my lip, knowing that it was no valkyrie he had seen, but the fifth and final member of the council. They had each spent their last gifts to bring us back from death. While I was on the one hand ecstatic about the additional chance at life I had been given, I couldn’t help but realize that now there would be no more help from the council. All five had given their gifts. If ever there was another challenge to face, I would be on my own.
The three of us spent the next several hours climbing up through the wreckage that had once been a massive, sprawling mansion. When we finally reached the top floor, we emerged in a far wing of the building and had to work our way through burned structures, cracked beams, and ruined marble pillars. As we passed through a room that contained many swords and axes on display, I noticed that there was a black safe toppled over onto the marble floor, with the door hanging open and cash sticking out.
Now, I had never been one to steal, but under the circumstances, I considered it only fair that I should be compensated with whatever the billionaire might have left around. Besides, I knew that Section Four was likely going to seize all his assets anyway, assuming any of Briggs’ men survived the ordeal.
I went to the safe and picked up several stacks of what looked like hundred dollar bills wrapped in mustard yellow bands. I stuffed them into my pocket and continued winding my way through the mansion. When we got to the entryway, my heart sank. The destruction was so massive. It was hard to tell if anyone had survived. There were remnants of the cursed dog beasts, vampires, and more than a few of Briggs’ agents. We picked our way through the corpses, looking for Dan, Flint, and Katya. We found Marcus’ body where it had been left. Bjorn pulled his axe and moved to Marcus’ corpse.
“Hey, what are you doing?” I asked.
Rolf put a hand on my shoulder, the same one that only a short time ago had been blown off by Rathison’s elephant gun, and said, “We have been at this long enough to know that sometimes they only pretend to kill our friends. Vampires can inflict their curse on you with a single bite, and it takes no longer to transfer than the venom from a viper. Cutting his head off now, although disrespectful, is the only way to make sure he does not come back later to attack us. An ally turned vampire would be extremely deadly, as they would know all of our hideouts.”
Bjorn raised his axe and I closed my eyes while turning away until it was over.
“And Mack thinks this is the best job in the world,” I grumbled.
Rolf squeezed my shoulder and continued walking. “It is not, perhaps, as glamorous as some, but tell me how many friends you have who have saved the world?”
“Yeah, I guess that’s true,” I said. As we crossed along the carnage, I heard a familiar tune playing outside. I had to smile. ABBA was blaring loud and true. “Let’s take a look outside,” I said.
Rolf and Bjorn nodded and followed after me. I stepped out onto the scorched stairs leading to the driveway and smiled wide. The van was sitting right where it had been. Indyrith and his daughter were meditating. Dan, Flint, and Katya were sitting in the open cargo door and passing a canteen around. All of them had lived.
“He lives!” Dan said as he threw his arms out.
We marched down the stairs like the triumphant heroes we were and shared embraces with our teammates. There was much rejoicing, and a few tears of happiness from Flint of all people. Indyrith and his daughter broke their meditation and came to congratulate us as well. They asked about Arne, and Rolf proudly puffed his chest and told them about how valiantly Arne had fought with the strength and grace of an eagle, fighting off whole groups of vampires.
He may have embellished the retelling a bit, but I sure wasn’t about to correct him.
“And Briggs?” I asked, looking at Flint.
Flint smirked and rubbed his thumb over the grip of his 1911. “The mean ones always survive,” he said. He thumbed out toward the south. “He and what’s left of his team are inspecting the silo and trying to figure out how to clean this mess up before it hits the local news.”
“And what of Drendarin?” Indyrith asked, cutting in.
“He followed through with his word. He was the one who launched and destroyed the engine.”
Indyrith smiled. “Then our work is done. We should go home.”
“Not yet,” Briggs shouted. We all turned to see the man, spattered with dark blood across the front of his uniform and face. “I want to know how that engine was launched, and I want to know which one of you d-bags blew it up!” He stormed up toward me and pointed at my face. “Was it you, you little twerp?”
Rolf stepped in Briggs’ way and laid the man out on the ground with a single punch. Briggs shook his head and spit out a bit of fresh, bright blood and then pushed back up to his feet.
“You want to try that again?” Briggs snarled.
Rolf obliged and put the Section Four enforcer down on his backside once again. Dan and Flint had to turn away to stifle their laughter, but I had seen enough for one day. I put my hand on Rolf’s shoulder and then moved over to extend a hand to Briggs. The agent looked at it, and then up to my eyes. I could tell he was thinking about whether he should actually take it, but he eventually let me help him up.
“The engine wasn’t operational,” I lied. “When we made it down to where it was, Rathison was there. He had already started the launch sequence. We tried to stop him, but it was too late. Fortunately for us, the engine wasn’t ready yet. The specs that my dad stole from Twin Turbo a couple decades ago had a fatal flaw, and the engine ruptured. Nothing we could do about it.”
“And how do I know you aren’t lying?” Briggs shouted.
I shrugged. “You don’t. But, if you want to check out the story, just go down to the lowest subfloor. You’ll find Rathison dead at the controls. That should confirm my story.” I paused for effect. “Of course, I can’t guarantee there aren’t any additional vampires down there,
and both the stairs and elevator are out of commission.”
Briggs shook his head and then turned to Rolf. “You, Viking, you won’t lie to me, it’s dishonorable. Is this man telling the truth?”
Rolf folded his arms. “I have never found fault with anything the Christian says.”
Briggs clenched his fist and cursed under his breath. “You all better just get outta here before I change my mind and lock the lot of you up.” He spun around and made a circle motion in the air with his finger. Three agents in busted up riot gear responded by starting to jog back toward him.
“Before we go,” Flint started. I felt a knot form in my stomach as Briggs turned to face Flint. Flint reached down and I thought for sure he was going to pull the 1911 up and end the man right there. Instead, he unbuttoned a pouch and pulled out the magazine with the special bullet. He pulled it from the magazine and then offered it to Briggs. “A little present for you.”
“What the hell would I want that for?” Briggs said sourly.
“So you can remember that all debts will eventually be paid,” Flint said.
“And this means what?” Briggs said as he took the bullet.
“It’s from my wife and daughter.”
For once, I saw fear flash across Briggs’ face. His lower lip quivered ever so slightly, and then he quickly shoved it into his pocket. “That was…” his words failed him and he shook his head.
Flint turned and headed for the van. “All right, where we gonna eat? I’m starving.”
*****
It was a long journey back to our underground home in western Washington. Nick was so happy to see everyone that he prepared a feast. Roast pig, pheasant, duck, grilled salmon, and more bread and fruit than any of us could have eaten in a week. I was skeptical at first, but after a couple of bites I was completely convinced that Nick was the best chef in the world. That’s right, a Sasquatch is the best chef. And to think, people always portray them as little more than big gorillas that lope around the forest. It was great to be back, although it did also accentuate the fact that we had lost Hank and Marcus. Katya and Dan saw to packing up their things. Equipment that belonged to the team was put into a store room for later redistribution. Personal effects were put into boxes and mailed out to family, along with canned letters appropriate for each recipient. It seemed a bit distant, but I couldn’t blame them. I had to think of all the people that had likely lost their lives during Indyrith’s time here. I imagine I would have eventually come up with a similar system.