by S Mays
“I saw who escaped with you from Inquest. Izzy is well-known to us. I knew there was a chance she’d try to loot this facility. It wasn’t easy keeping my superiors from sending a platoon of soldiers to guard the place until this other equipment could be moved out. I had to trigger one of the more dangerous artifacts here and create a story about battling demons for the past few days. They cleared out much of the equipment on that first night we were attacked, but this other machinery takes a lot of manpower to move. Or maybe just a few…werewolves,” he said.
He whipped around quickly, stamping down his staff, creating a shadow that engulfed the hallway behind him. Mercury emerged from the darkness, stumbled a few steps, then fell at his feet. He immediately held out his other hand behind him, as if motioning “stop,” in the direction of Izzy. A flurry of bullets sped toward Bilford just as Sverre shouted, “No!”
The bullets struck a large mass that had instantly expanded from Bilford’s hand. It looked like a blob of translucent green slime forming a curved shield. The projectiles struck it with a wet thwak-thwak-thwak sound, slowing to a stop. He turned to face them, the shield drawing back into his hand with a slurping sound. He turned his palm over, displaying the handful of bullets.
“I’ve still got it,” he said with a smile.
Chewy barked at the gunfire, terrified. Sverre attempted to calm the frightened dog. Bilford waved his hand, sending a small fluttering wave of sparkles toward Chewy which encircled the canine. The dog faded away from Sverre’s hands. Sverre regarded Bilford with a look of terror.
Bilford waved down the young man’s concerns. “He is in his bed upstairs now. Don’t worry, the door is locked and closed. He is completely safe. That will keep him out of trouble for now.”
Izzy’s gun clacked as she jammed another magazine into it.
“Young lady, please stop doing that. It’s annoying to waste my energy. I’m not as young as I used to be. If you do that again, I might turn you into a slug.”
She looked at Sverre questioningly, mouthing the words, “Can he do that?”
He shrugged.
“The she-wolf is fine. She’ll wake up feeling refreshed in a few hours,” Bilford explained. “You are right, though — time is running out, but not for the reason you think. I’ve got a lot of things to explain to you, Sverre. If your compatriots return, please have them wait. This is very important. It concerns Jessica,” he said, moving away from the door so he couldn’t be ambushed again.
“Not to interject, here, but I don’t care what this is about. We need to haul ass, Sverre,” Izzy said. “Are you with him or us?”
“Young lady, if you get back on that terminal, you’ll see I’m not lying. I’ve deactivated the alarms. No transmission has been sent out. There’s no team coming,” Bilford stated.
Izzy looked back at the terminal, then at Bilford. Walking over, she typed a few commands, then turned to Sverre. “He’s right, there’s nothing showing up. My Izzy Special did its job, but the internal system was deactivated beforehand. Everything except the outer defenses.”
“Why would you do that, Bilford? What happened here? Where is Jessica?” Sverre said, trying to gather his thoughts. Why was Bilford helping them?
“First off, if it means anything, I’m sorry for what happened to you. I’m just now beginning to piece it all together. After your initial period here, your snooping around made a lot of people nervous. They wanted to test you to see if you were loyal to the cause. They rigged up that whole scenario that night to see what you would do. Unfortunately, you did exactly what they expected you to do. I fought hard for you, my boy, but many of them had already made up their minds,” Bilford said.
“And what about Jessica? Was she in on it?” Sverre demanded.
“No, she was in the dark as much as you were. In fact, she’s spent these past few months investigating the whole thing herself, which has raised a few red flags. She felt like you were set up, which you were. She was quite upset by it all.”
“And where is she now?” Sverre asked.
“She’s why I’m still here,” Bilford said, groaning as he slowly sat down in a chair. “A few days ago, almost right after you escaped from Inquest, I was in the study when I received a phone call.” He paused, wondering how to proceed. “Now, what I’m about to tell you will probably get me court-martialed and locked up in Inquest myself. You can do what you want with the information. I’ve lived a long life and done a lot of things that I regret. Spending my last remaining years locked up is probably what I deserve. What I did this time was...unconscionable. I’ve killed innocent men. Men who looked to me for leadership, and I threw their lives away,” the old man continued, stooped over in the chair while staring at the floor. “The caller identified himself as Dragos Dalca,” Bilford said.
Izzy whistled. “That’s a fellow no one wants to mess with.”
“Yes, we’ve tried to locate and shut him down for hundreds of years, but his resources are perhaps on par with ours, I’m afraid,” Bilford said. “He’s one of the most powerful vampires ever to walk the Earth. A casual phone call from him was the second biggest surprise I’ve had in my very long life. He stated he was en route to our facility with the intent of securing Jessica. If there’s one thing you have to understand about Dragos, it’s that he’s a man of honor. He believes a person’s word is the most valuable thing they possess. He’s a real stickler for honor, ceremony, and whatnot. It’s rumored he has never lied in his life.”
“Sort of an Honest Abe of the Undead?” Sverre interjected.
“I suppose you could say that, although Lincoln lied to me all the time,” Bilford said.
“You’re joking, right?” Izzy said, looking up from the terminal where she had remained during the discourse.
Bilford continued, “Dragos stated that he would come in person within ten minutes to collect Jessica. He offered a bargain: if I deactivated the mystic defenses, he would not harm her, and he’d only kill the men who directly assaulted his person. Another matter of honor to him, you see. He stated that if I refused, he would slaughter everyone in the building except for Jessica and he would attack a major city before morning. Thousands could have died.”
“You didn’t...” Sverre said.
“I’m-I’m afraid I agreed,” Bilford said. His eyes glistened.
“Look, old man, if that bloodsucker said he’s goin’ to do it, then he’s goin’ to do it. That’s the reason he never lies — so people know he means business,” Izzy said, still typing.
“That offers little consolation. Those men died to save the rest of us. I didn’t care about myself, but Sam, Hilda, and the rest... I locked down the barracks and the security doors to every room in the building. However, Jessica noticed what was occurring and activated the alarm. Some of the soldiers made it up top before the doors locked. They were isolated from the rest of us, waiting for reinforcements until the moment they died. It made no difference in the end. The might of an elder vampire lord is almost unrivaled.
“He deactivated or destroyed the electronic defenses and tore through the reinforced blast door. The men were slaughtered in seconds. Jessica confronted him, but he subdued her. He arrived in my study with her trailing him. It was devastating to see her so entranced. He asked me why the building had been sealed, and I was forced to tell him that Jessica had noticed his arrival. He wished to make sure I hadn’t reneged on our deal, you see. Satisfied with my answers, he left.”
“With all of your power, you just let him go? You let Jessica be taken?” Sverre’s voice was full of anger.
“You don’t understand, my boy. In my prime, I would have likely been no match for him. An elder vampire lord’s speed is indescribable. They have the ability to control any human’s mind with a simple word. They are able to dominate our will utterly. In addition, he carried several magical artifacts and wards that I could not identify. It was truly a no-win situation.”
“Where did he take her? Surely, she has some kind of trackin
g device on her, implanted somewhere or something.”
“There is one subdermal implant that all Order agents have. We found it in the forest. We were unable to track the course of his aircraft. It must have similar capabilities to our own.”
“Did he say why he took her? I don’t understand why he would risk his own life coming here just to kidnap her,” Sverre said.
Bilford paused before continuing. “He said he wanted you, I’m afraid. I don’t know why. It probably has something to do with your gift. He said that once I found you, I was to keep you here until he sent for you. I was beginning to lose hope. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could keep others from the facility, but here you are. I can’t ask or force you to stay, but I wanted to let you know the situation.”
Izzy continued to use the console while the long conversation was occurring. Looking up, she said, “I’m beginning to think all of this is related. Sverre’s setup, the attack on his parents by the werewolves, his time at Inquest. Going through the files, I notice some curious inconsistencies. I think this was partly an inside job. Someone fed him data that he shouldn’t have had access to and tempted him with that information. It all seems to be rigged so he’d fly off the handle and end up at Inquest, and then there was the experimentation on him, which was outside protocol. The fact that the werewolf village was hidden from the Order’s tracking. I just cracked the worm and found evidence that the village was evacuated not long ago. I don’t know why Dragos would go through all of this trouble or who was working with him.”
Hoss and Valkyrie burst into the room, taking up strategic positions behind the equipment. Their weapons were trained on Bilford.
“We’ve got him covered, Miss Ford. Head to the doorway!” Hoss shouted.
Izzy looked to the old wizard, then at Sverre. Neither made any motion. “Stand down, Hoss,” she ordered.
“We heard almost everything. You don’t have any obligation to these people. Let them have the boy, and let’s take our haul. Even if there isn’t an intercept squad coming, the longer we are here, the more risk. Especially if that vampire is involved. This is something we shouldn’t get involved with,” Hoss said, his rifle still pointed at Bilford.
Izzy gave Sverre a worried look. “Look, I get it. But she ain’t worth riskin’ your life over. We’ll make some serious cheddar on this trip, even if you want out afterwards. I’d like to have you in my crew, though. You seem like an okay guy.”
“I can’t do it, Izzy. I can’t let another person die because of me. It’s not just my feelings for Jess, but there’s something inside of me that won’t let an innocent die if it’s in my power to save them.”
“The whole Soul Warrior thing? That’s why Dragos wants you in the first place, and if he wants you that badly, it’s not going to be good for anyone, especially you.” She was getting angry at his stubbornness.
“I know, but I couldn’t live with myself otherwise. I’m sorry. I appreciate all that you’ve done for me.”
She walked over to him, then stuck her hand out. He ignored her hand, scooping her up in a bear hug.
“Put me down, you big doofus!” she cried out. He set her down gently.
“Look, I’m not going to try to talk you out of it. A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do. But that doesn’t mean I can’t help you out a bit. You keep that Izzy Special I gave you. Maybe it’ll help you out at some point. But there’s something else I want to try, too. Come over here,” she said, walking over to the nanite tank.
He followed, unsure of what she was planning.
“I’ve studied up on these particles here and there over the years, and now, with direct access to them, I think I might be able to bond them to you.”
“I’m not sure that is the wisest decision,” Bilford said from across the room.
“Are you planning on stopping me from trying?” she asked.
“No…no, I am just concerned for your safety. Bonding the God Particles to a living person instead of a weapon rarely worked, even back when Jessica’s father was alive,” the old wizard said. “But if you can make the process work, the boy will need as much help as he can get in his upcoming trials, so you have my blessing.”
“I don’t think that will work. These things don’t get along with me. Last time I fooled around with them, they just about blew my fingers off,” Sverre said.
“That’s because you’ve got too much energy for them to handle. You are like a freakin’ nuclear power plant of chi. They are attracted to you like a moth to a flame, but they burn out just like the moth does, too. But I think I can solve that problem and also get them to initiate the bonding process. Hell, they already want to bond with you now. They just can’t because they weren’t designed to work with that level of energy,” Izzy explained.
“What do you mean, they ‘want to’?”
“I don’t know how, but these things have some kind of rudimentary intelligence. I’ve found some AI code in them, but whatever it is seems to go beyond simple code, or else it’s hidden somewhere that I can’t find, which is pretty much impossible.”
The lid on the transparent container slid back automatically. Izzy stood at the edge, waiting for Sverre to join her. When he reached her position, the particles in the tank started to swirl again. Izzy put her hand in the tank, then a hand on Sverre’s forehead. She closed her eyes.
“I believe you are quite wasting your time, child. We’ve had some of the best minds in the Order try to get the God Particles to bond with new masters, but it was a failure each time,” Bilford shouted from across the room.
“Hush, old man, I’m concentrating,” Izzy commanded. Her brow furrowed as she focused harder.
“What are you trying to do, Izzy?” Sverre asked, puzzled. It was similar to some kind of spiritual awakening rather than hacking something.
She did not respond, but the creases in her forehead deepened. She started to perspire slightly. Hoss and Valkyrie looked at each other, unsure of what was going on but impatient for it to be over. On any normal mission, they’d have been halfway back to home by now, yet they’d lingered here for almost half an hour while one of the enemy sat casually in a chair.
Bilford pulled out a pipe and lit it with the tip of his finger, crossing his legs.
“Extraordinary,” he muttered to himself.
“Okay, Sverre, slowly put your hand into the tank,” Izzy whispered. It was obvious she was under great strain despite merely resting her hands on him and inside the tank.
He did as she’d instructed, lowering his hand carefully into the container. Some of the particles leapt into the air, flashing and sizzling before they made contact with him.
“Are you sure about this?” he asked.
“Just try to stay calm. Don’t spike your energy level. This room could go up if you lose control and ignite the entire tank,” she whispered.
“It’s probably not a good idea to tell me to stay calm, then tell me I could accidentally kill everyone in the room if I don’t.”
The gray mass became more agitated the lower his hand went. “Just keep going. I think I’ve almost got it,” she said, sweat dripping onto her body armor. “They-they want both hands,” she said.
“Who is ‘they’?” Sverre asked.
“I-I don’t know. I think it’s the God Particles, but it’s like they are talking to me and... you?” she said, opening her eyes.
“I’m not talking to anyone. Maybe it’s the spirits within me talking to them?”
“I don’t know. I’m hardly doing anything now. I’m merely the conduit. This isn’t what I expected to happen, but it seems to have stabilized.”
He did as instructed, cautiously putting both hands into the tank. Slowly, the area around both hands began to swirl, once again like a giant whirlpool. A white glow began to pulse within the center of the phenomenon.
“Izzy....” Sverre said, panic creeping into his voice.
“I-I don’t know what’s happening. Just stop. Maybe this won’t work a
fter all.”
“I can’t! My hands are stuck. The particles are pulling them in. I can’t get them out. Izzy, it’s starting to hurt,” he cried out, straining to pull his arms out, but he had no leverage. The smell of something burning started to waft through the air as the light grew brighter.
Izzy ran back to the terminal and started typing. “It’s not responding. This isn’t supposed to happen!” she shouted.
Bilford stood in alarm as Hoss and Valkyrie started edging toward the door.
Sverre screamed, trying to pull his arms free. The whirlpools spun faster and faster. The light flared blindingly. The particles began to emit a high-pitched whine that grew louder by the second.
Sverre screamed again as the tank exploded. Fragments of glass whizzed across the room, shattering across the machinery and walls. Everyone gathered in the room shielded themselves from the onslaught. The particles spilled out of the sides of the tank and onto the floor. The ceiling lights around the tank shorted out and went dark.
Izzy lowered her arms from her face and rushed over to Sverre. Bilford followed.
Sverre groaned on the floor a few feet from the destroyed tank. Shards of glass stuck out of his body armor. He held up his hands, which smoked and steamed. The thin gloves which had covered them were shredded and melted, burned skin exposed through the holes. Izzy ripped off the remnants of the gloves. Some of the material stuck to his skin as it was peeled off, removing layers of skin as well.
“Oh my god, I’m sorry, Sverre. I don’t know what happened,” she said, removing a small aerosol spray can from a pouch on her belt. He felt his pain subside as the spray numbed his flesh.
“Wait, what’s that?” he said, looking closely at his hands.
Upon closer inspection, he noticed that much of what looked like blackened burns and cloth was moving. His hands were covered in the gray particles. In fact, the damage to his hands was minimal. The particles slowly swarmed around his hands, in between his fingers and into and out of the wounds.
“What are they doing?” he asked.