Pulse of Heroes

by A. Jacob Sweeny

  “I suggest you drink the wine. It’s sweet, Tamaioasa-Romaneasca. It’s going to be a long night. You might just need it. Move your hands from your face,” he commanded her.

  “I don’t want to, and I don’t want to drink. The stuff is making me sick,” Michelle said, hoping that Haden would at least give her the right to keep her eyes hidden.

  “Haven’t we been through this already? As I recall, not too long ago you were begging me to…” Michelle felt his breath on her hands. She just didn’t have the stamina to fight him anymore. She slowly uncovered her face. “You know what’s funny here? You act so much the way Vilna used to when she was ten or eleven. I can’t remember anymore,” he chuckled.

  “Did you try to rape her too?” Michelle couldn’t believe the words that just blurted out of her mouth. The slap she received left her ears ringing. She was so dizzy she thought the bed was spinning. Haden then propped her up against the headboard and grabbed her by her cheeks.

  “You’ve got some mouth on you, and damn stubborn too!” He pushed her head against the headboard. I should have just left you in the field to die after I was done with you!!! Who do you think you’re dealing with?” His voice got lower and his face came close to hers, “I’ve been king of entire nations, a leader of great militaries, a hero. I’ve had girls lined up for months just to get a turn in my bed, and you, you jeer at me? You should be begging on your knees in gratitude that I gave you a chance at all!” he screamed, raising his hand to slap her again. Michelle put up her arm defensively and turned her face away. When she opened her eyes Haden was headed out the door.

  “I hope Elliot kills you!!!” she yelled, throwing the glass of wine across the room. It shattered against the doorjamb, spilling the wine onto Haden’s shoes. His entire face contorted in anger, and if he hadn’t killed her yet, he was surely going to now. Michelle said a quick prayer for her soul. At least she had said what was on her mind before she died. Her poor parents. Haden had her by her throat and Michelle began choking. Her hands went up and scratched at his fingers to let her loose, but it was no use. Within a few seconds Michelle stopped fighting and darkness approached her from either side. Then everything turned to black. Nothing could hurt her anymore. She was free.

  Chapter 18

  Before Elliot got to Hadeno’s property he pulled off the road and opened a small icebox that he had stowed beneath the passenger seat. He removed two packs of dry ice, then lifted out a rectangular item that looked like a slab of yellowish clay. He began molding it and shaping it into a flat elliptical shape, then pulled off his boot and placed the clay underneath the padding at the heel. He hid the icebox under the seat again, pulled the boot back on, then got out of the car and walked towards the front. Looking around instinctively, he pulled the spring spear out of his belt and crouched down, tucking it into a small space under the bumper that he had created especially for that purpose. Satisfied, Elliot got back into the car and pulled it onto the main road. When he reached the dirt road leading to the concert area, he scanned the vicinity intently.

  At first he didn’t see anything out of the ordinary, but Elliot was no fool. He knew that at any moment he was going to be attacked, one way or another. He remembered Rion telling him that the entire area belonged to Hadeno, and that it was once covered by many small dwellings housing the serfs who worked inside the castle walls and the surrounding vineyards. It seemed that Hadeno had eventually grown tired of the wine industry, and sold several parcels to one of the most famous winemakers in the country. He made millions off the established vines, and afterwards decided that it would be a blast to promote summer concerts instead. Hadeno had always been known for his eccentric behavior, and the music scene provided him with the adulation he always craved. But Rion was convinced that there was more to the concerts than just mass entertainment. He had heard plenty of Afghani spoken there, and Devin had heard that Haden had been cultivating a vast opium market for years. It wouldn’t surprise anyone who knew him to learn that he was using the concerts as a front for more dirty business. He was the classic opportunistic megalomaniac.

  Elliot maneuvered his vehicle right below the small hill that led up to Hadeno’s house, and within seconds a truck pulled behind him with its bright lights shining and a second one descended down the hill to block his path forward. Hadeno’s men jumped out, each of them with a different weapon drawn. Elliot raised his hands as he stepped out of the car and walked to the front of it.

  There were six of them in total and they had him completely surrounded. A couple of them were human and held guns, but Elliot was pretty sure that they were using regular bullets; there was no way that they had the formula for the alloy to use as a coating; that’s why he was there in the first place. And although the bullets couldn’t fully kill him on their own, the idea of getting shot up still wasn’t terribly appealing. The other weapons such as knives and swords could have been made out of anything, as he and his friends did not have complete knowledge as to the whereabouts of every single weapon floating around out there.

  “You’re a little late for dinner,” Togor said, smiling as he reached in to Elliot’s jacket to pull out the sword that Rion had loaned him. “Not bad,” he said, taking it out of its sheath to inspect the blade. “I bet this is not the only little surprise you’ve got for us,” he added, signing for one of the others to pat Elliot down. After a quick frisking the man discovered the bone dagger in Elliot’s boot and happily removed it. The guys laughed and Togor looked up at the direction of the house in triumph. Elliot knew that Hadeno obviously had the best view of the entire situation, and wondered if Michelle was somewhere up there with him.

  Another guy began waving a metal detector around him, and as soon as he got close enough Elliot punched him in the face. The guy tilted backwards out of sheer surprise, but before he could even return the punch the rest of them jumped on Elliot and had him down on his knees within seconds. In the confusion, Elliot managed to grab the short spear from underneath the car and stuff it into his boot. The whole thing took less than three seconds. By the time they had him back off the ground with two men holding each of his arms, Elliot was bleeding from a split lower lip. They presented him face to face with Togor, who spit on Elliot’s feet and punched him in the gut with all his might. If Elliot felt any pain, he sure wasn’t going to show it.

  Elliot was blindfolded and dragged somewhere underground. He could tell that pretty easily, despite not being able to see. There was cold moisture in the stagnant air, and the smell of earth was all around. That and the fact that he could practically hear the earthworms slithering. Elliot was shoved to the ground and heard the sound of thick iron screeching. Since his hands weren’t tied, he immediately removed his blindfold just in time to see huge iron bars being inserted into carved grooves in the floor. He was inside the castle ruins, just as all his friends had predicted would happen. So far, so good. At least there was enough light in there, even if it came from a flickering ceiling lamp that looked like it belonged to the soviet era and was crudely hanging haphazardly from an almost completely corroded wire.

  While Elliot was surveying his new surroundings, Rion was at the wheel of the other Range Rover. They were about thirty minutes away and everyone was adrenalized. And caffeinated. They talked about the friends who were killed in China, and Ando phoned Xander to update him. “Just get him and Michelle out of there safely. I am too old to deal with such things, and remind Elliot that I am praying for him when you get a chance. Xander’s voice sounded weak and worried. He had grown up listening to some of Elliot’s great adventures, but he had never actually witnessed any of the guys involved in anything even remotely close to what was taking place now. And the fact that Michelle was involved and in danger made him feel as if he was somehow responsible. What’s more, the last thing he wanted at his age was to end up all alone, as without Elliot he had no other family member alive anywhere.

  Elliot paced around the small confinement space attempting to get his bearings. It
was one thing to sense the earth’s magnetic field in a wide ocean, but quite another to try and figure out in which direction Hadeno’s house stood. Judging from the ancient stone construction and architecture, he was pretty much sure that he was somewhere under the castle ruins on top of the hill. He then thought about Michelle being held captive somewhere nearby, perhaps in another dark and dingy space, and he shuddered to think how scared she must feel. He stood quietly and listened. He heard the worms, and somewhere close by there were drops of water hitting a hard surface, and beyond that he heard the hum of the earth turning on its axis, and even his own blood as it pumped through his body with every beat of his heart. And then, just as he was about to give up, he heard the vibrations of a vehicle drawing closer, and recognized it as the same engine as the Range Rover he had driven. From underground, he was able to feel the vibrations much stronger than anyone could up above. His friends were still some ways away, but they were getting closer and he had to be ready to execute the plan they had all agreed on.

  Elliot heard the sound of a metal door screeching and then the unmistakable footsteps of one of his kind getting closer. A few seconds later, Hadeno appeared from one of the dark hallways beyond. Elliot stood straight, and before Hadeno could say anything he told him that he had him captured now, and to let Michelle go. But Hadeno laughed and told him that in his position he didn’t have much clout to make demands.

  “And besides,” Hadeno added teasingly, “I don’t think Michelle has any intention of leaving, with or without you. She has gotten used to being treated the way she deserves, so why would she want to be set free? That is what you’re calling it, right? To set her free? Free the way you freed Kalina from my clutches?”

  “Ugh! You’re still belly-aching about that after 600 years? I told you, I only helped her leave because she was too scared to go on her own. She knew you wouldn’t go after her if you thought she was with me. She had no desire to be a part of your Harem. I never touched her! And besides, aren’t I here because of the tablet? Isn’t this what you really want?” Elliot pulled at a leather string he had tied around his neck to reveal a small pouch. But Hadeno laughed again and told him that things were not going be so easy. Hadeno walked towards the bars to get a closer look at the supposed tablet when Elliot saw his own sword hanging on Hadeno’s waist.

  “You son of a bitch! You killed my friends with my own freakin’ sword!”

  Elliot spit out his words with rage and his eyes began glowing intensely.

  “You need to calm down, lad, or you’ll give yourself a heart attack. Then how would little Michelle feel?”

  “You better not have hurt a hair on her head!” Elliot yelled with an amazing amount of anger. Hadeno didn’t answer for a while, and stroked his chin to connote that he was thinking.

  “Hmm, I don’t think I concentrated on her hair much, or her head,” Haden replied coldly, adding that the only time he actually touched her hair was after she had gotten out of his bath, “and it was wet then.” Elliot pushed the image of Hadeno touching Michelle out of his head. Poor Michelle, he thought. She was powerless against him; he could lower her inhibitions with the slightest touch. After that, the only image that Elliot conjured in his head was that of him crushing Hadeno’s windpipe with his bare hands.

  “I will crush this tablet with my own feet if you can’t convince me that Michelle is here and that she’s unharmed,” Elliot threatened, holding the pouch above the floor.

  “I’m forced to kill you anyway,” Hadeno answered nonchalantly. But Elliot shook his head.

  “You want this too bad. You won’t take the chance of me destroying it.”

  Haden laughed again and dialed his cell phone. He spoke to someone in Romanian, and then in English.

  “I hope I am not disturbing you, Michelle. You looked so peaceful sleeping there. Yes, he is right here next to me, but I’m afraid he doesn’t want to speak to you right now. Maybe later. How’s your backside? Feeling any better?” Elliot couldn’t take it anymore and yelled out to Michelle not to trust him, but Hadeno hung up quickly, telling Michelle that he’d come check on her later.

  “What have you done to her?” Elliot roared, grabbing a hold of the iron bars and inching his face as close as he could to Hadeno’s.

  “Nothing you hadn’t planned on doing yourself. Although I am disappointed in you, you cradle robber. She is quite young and very undisciplined. What was your plan? To mold her to fit your personal whims? I am sorry, but I’m afraid I got to her first. We’re working on lesson four, learning when to keep our mouth shut.” Hadeno tilted his head. “I hope you didn’t invite anyone else to join the party, because if I don’t find the guests to my liking I will not only kill you, but I’ll kill her first in front of you.” Hadeno walked away, and as his image was swallowed by the darkness he told Elliot not to put too much stock in the fact that he was the only one with the ancient formula. “That’s not why you’re here. And besides, we’ve been making headway with our own alloys, and have already forged a couple of weapons that came very close to the real thing.”

  “Then what do you want from me!” Elliot yelled after him, but Hadeno didn’t answer back.

  Elliot knew that his friends were already up there giving hell to anyone that came their way. It was now up to him to get out of that damn jail, and he had come prepared. Elliot removed his left boot and took out the plastic explosives he had hidden under his footpad. He knew that he only had one chance, and a limited amount of time to get out of there while his friends kept the others occupied. Elliot began running his hands along the walls, trying to detect any difference in the temperatures at the upper corners. Hadeno had come from a hallway to the front of the room, which indicated that there were probably more rooms beyond that and eventually he could find a door to the outside. But he had only managed to get his hands on a minimal amount of the explosive putty on such short notice, and he wasn’t sure if such a small explosion could create enough energy to rip through the thick iron bars. No, he would have to take his chances with one of the old stone walls.

  Elliot placed the putty into the coldest crevice he could find. He took off his boots and socks and stood barefoot on the pressed dirt floor. He then placed both his hands on the putty and his eyes began changing hues between green and blue. Elliot’s body was acting as an electrical conduit. He was amassing an amazing electrical charge, pulling energy directly from the earth’s molten metal core, and within about a minute the putty began melting and smoking. The trick was to get the explosive material hot enough to catch, but once that happened Elliot would have to jump back and seek cover. It all had to go perfectly or else he could end up losing a limb or two. Elliot himself had never done this before, but Mikoto had, and told him he would feel the heat just starting to singe the outer layer of his dermis and at that point he would have about a half a second to jump back. Just like Mikoto had explained, Elliot smelled the odor of burning flesh before he actually felt it. He leaped backwards to crouch down in the opposite corner of the cell and covered his face with his arm. The sound of the blast shook the entire room, and dust and rocks fell over Elliot’s head.

  At first he thought he might be doomed and that the whole place would collapse on top of him. But when the dust settled and Elliot could open his eyes, he was disappointed to see that only a few rocks had tumbled out of place and that there was no outside beyond them, just more rubble. The plan had failed and now Michelle was in even more danger than before. But then his eyes focused on something colorful that appeared to be sticking out of the collapsed stones. Elliot reached up towards it. It was a small chamomile flower, its white leaves having turned a shade of gray from all the dust. The flower was still attached to its roots, and there was fresh dirt clinging to those. It gave Elliot the hope that he needed, and he began pulling more stones and rubble from the hole in the wall. After about a minute of doing that, more flowers collapsed down on top of him. Standing on top of the pile, he thrust his hand through the dirt, feeling the fresh
night breeze on his dusty fingers.

  There was movement outside, and Elliot heard Haneul’s voice telling him that the guys were still occupied with the others but had killed at least one of them, and that he had heard the explosion. Elliot saw Haneul’s fingers grabbing dirt and rocks and pulling them to the side. The hole was getting bigger and Elliot could see the night sky above when all of a sudden he heard Haneul swearing and the sound of metal hitting metal. Someone had discovered them, and if Haneul wasn’t quick in subduing the enemy more were sure to come. Elliot began digging with even more fury, and a second later he was squeezing himself through the small opening. Haneul was fighting the large African man with the bone earrings, and they seemed to be equally matched in skill. All Elliot had was his short spear, and there was no way he could throw it at the man and not risk stabbing his friend.

  “Go,” Haneul called out to Elliot, “I’ve got this. Go find Michelle!” Elliot still wasn’t sure, so as if to calm his worries Haneul swung his sword in large circles above his head. While his opponent tried to block its inertia with his own sword, in a quick move Haneul pulled out Mikoto’s metal fan and spread it open, tossing it like a Frisbee straight into the guy’s neck. Massive amounts of blood began to spray in every direction, and the shocked African crumpled to his knees, then tipped over dead.

  Michelle paced around the room despite being in pain. Her throat burned on the inside, while the outside of her neck was sore and still showed the imprints of Haden’s fingers. It hurt to breathe and her back was sore. She felt like a caged animal and it seemed as if the walls were moving inwards towards her. The room felt smaller than before, and she was sweating. She looked out the window, but couldn’t see anything besides the black SUV which she assumed belonged to Elliot. She wondered why Haden had asked to speak to her, rightly concluding that Elliot had asked about her and wanted to hear her voice. The guy that came in to hand her the phone was one of the guys that saw her the night before when she was wrapped in nothing but a sheet. He was attractive just like the rest, and made her feel even more embarrassed when he looked at her torn dress and snickered.