by J M Bannon
The man nodded. Henry opened his coat and put the two guns in his waistband.
"Sorry about the gun, I had a dilemma at the factory. You can put your hands down, I won't hurt you, we are both working with Caiaphas. There has been a change in plans and I needed to have access to the gates."
The man picked up a slate and wrote, "Caiaphas?"
"Don't worry, he'll be here soon. He sent me ahead to get things going. First, I need to recover something I lost, so I will need your help."
32
Saturday the 30th of March
9:35 p.m. Hawkin’s House
Dolly pulled up in front of Hawkin's House, he had borrowed a station carriage to get around. He came to a jerky stop in front of Rose's home. He disengaged the drive train moving the transmission lever, and the machine created a loud ratcheting and grinding noise. Looking out the window he could see the Constables watching and chuckling. "Fuck you, you wretched machine," Williamson said, getting out leaving the steam carriage in the middle of the street. He thought it would expedite his day to drive himself, but it took longer and stressed his nerves.
"One of you park that thing somewhere," he barked at the Constables. One of the Bobbies sprinted towards the carriage when he turned he saw the car had idled down the street. The other Cop worked to hold in his laughter.
Dolly shook his head and went to the door. The crowds had cleared from the earlier ballyhoo and he happy the reporters dispersed, more so because of his stunt leaving the Carriage without the brake engaged.
He entered the garden gate and before he could knock Pāora had opened the door. "Welcome Detective, not sure where to place another policeman but come in."
"You realize you work for an officer of the law?"
"Never think of her as a Peeler," said the Māori.
"Haven't heard that one in some time," retorted Dolly under his breath.
"Miss Rose, Detective Williamson is here," the Pacific Islander announced.
"Dolly, you all settled at home and checked in with the Bosses down at headquarters?" asked Rose.
"I am. Good evening, Ms. Du Moya," said Dolly to the girl possessed by the Voodoo Queen. "What developments do you have here?"
"Some smashing ones!" Rose guided Dolly over to Fletcher and Edison's contraption. Pointed to it she continued, "The boys whipped this up while you were washing your whites. Now they can't agree on how it works, but they figured out a way to help. It is a location device and may help us find where your fugitive has gone."
"Really how?" Dolly exclaimed, this was the best news he had all day.
"You see these gauges?"
Dolly nodded in agreement taking out his reading spectacles and sitting down in front of the panel.
"The one in the middle is your compass, it points north so you can get a geographic reference. This one here always points to the clock we picked up in France." Rose showed, describing the apparatus with excitement.
"So, what is the hitch?" asked Dolly peering through his glasses and inspecting the instrument panel thoroughly.
"Well this is where we will need a little help. After we build two more of these gizmos, we will need to place them some distance away from each other and move them, then compare the readings."
"So, what you're getting to Caldwell, is…" urged Dolly.
"We would need airships to fly patterns taking readings then compare the instruments corresponding readings to plot the source location," Rose explained, smiling.
"My first thought is to talk to the Air Service, as well as request the Zeus Airship Line to assist, and add these on to their ships.”
"That's a cracking idea, Dolly, they have routes all over. I would have to see what it takes for the boys to make these up but seeing as they whipped it up in an afternoon without Lorelei or my help, it couldn't be too challenging," said Caldwell.
"Where is the Doctor?" asked the Detective.
"She went out to check on Preston at Gilchrist Manor," added Rose, as she stood to ask her science team to join them.
"It would be nice to hear what she has to say about this thing," said Dolly. "There's another source for airships. How many does her family own?"
"Are you that afraid to ask the Admiralty for some ships?"
“A little, because this one will need to go to the Prime Minister. He is no fan of the Americans, so he may be reticent to grant assistance. Rose, you never said what this third gauge does, the one that just stopped spinning," Dolly said. He looked up at her for an answer seeing her wide-eyed and pale.
"That's the direction of the connection signal. Someone is trying to connect to the clock that's in my basement," Rose speculated, sprinting out of the room slipping on the floor in her stocking feet making haste towards the study. "Pāora! Enzo!" Rose shouted.
Dolly jumped up and ran after Rose. Angelica stood up, Dolly stopped. "Best you stay here until we know what we're dealing with."
Dolly went into the study and saw the steel cylinder door open to the spiral staircase. He ran down and caught up to her in the Reliquary just a few steps behind her catching up as his boots provided better grip than shoeless Rose. He passed her in the hall to the studio arcana and came to an abrupt stop when he heard a shot.
Out of the holster came the Colt. He spun the cylinder to an arcane load, he would not take his chances with regular bullets in Rose's basement.
Dolly had his shoulder to the wall just outside of the entrance and could hear the high tension in the room on the other side. "Oh, dear Jesus there is no need to be shooting anyone," someone said.
"You, get that device and bring it here," it was English with a French accent. - Allard.
Dolly stepped into the doorway pistol up; there was Allard with a gun pointed at one man and Tommy walking with the soul magnet towards the gate opening. Dolly didn't have a clear shot, Tommy was in the way, but that didn't stop Allard from shooting at him. He spun back and ducked behind the wall, the shot came through the plaster just above his head.
Dolly turned back just in time to see Allard pull Tommy with the soul siphon through the gate. He ran in maneuvering around the counter and two more shots came out from the gate. Through the eerie warbling sound of the portal, he heard, "Open door twenty."
On the ground lay the Constable. Next to him spattered with blood was the one-armed Mechanist, Fletcher. "Fletcher get out of here now!"
Alfie described the scene, "The clock projected a light, and the Necronist came through shooting. He wanted that contraption, and he took it along with Tommy."
"Get upstairs now!" shouted Dolly, his first instinct was to get everyone clear of danger. "Rose, the gate is still open," Williamson continued. They had a chance of apprehending Allard.
"Don't go through Dolly, let me get suited up and we can go through together."
"But what if it closes?"
"Then we go with our plan to triangulate on the source signal. He is likely just inside ready to pounce, and I don't even have shoes on." Dolly agreed, "well make it quick then. I'll wait here."
He checked on the cop "dead as a doorknob," he said out loud.
Pāora came into the room, "The Mistress is coming."
Dolly's attention was pulled away by the strange sight of a wooden stool flying out of the portal and smashing against the edge of the counter, followed by a guttural bray. The next thing out of the portal was alive but not human. It was big, twice the size of a man but man-like akin to a gorilla, it had arms and legs but walked on all fours.
Dolly had an inkling of what it was, an upgraded version of the Golems he saw in France. Besides the size, these were built to fight, Allard had fitted them with armor plate copper sheet, riveted right into the muscle and the aggression level was far higher than the previous encounter. It charged like a bull into the counter smashing it and knocking it off the foundation.
The first was quickly followed by three more. The tables and equipment were getting thrown and smashed "Pāora, move back to the Reliquary so we don't get t
rampled."
Outside in the Reliquary, Dolly could hear one of them smashing into the walls it didn't take much time for the creatures to find the doorway and work to the hall.
Williamson shored up and put his shot into the meat of the beast. Rose's bullet worked the blue flash, on entry dropped the creature but another one came up behind it leaping over the corpse. Dolly shot again but the slug hit a metal plate. The bullet burst outside of it, damaging the creature but not killing it; as it closed in on Dolly, he went to place another slug when Pāora jumped in front grabbing the beast in a bear hug. Pāora uttered something in Maori and held fast, the creature could not budge, as if it was cemented to the ground.
That angered the beast, and it returned the bear hug. The Maori did not move, but he screamed in pain as the beast squeezed him to the point Dolly heard ribs popping. Williamson stepped up point blank with his pistol and shot the creature in an open soft spot. It died and released Pāora.
One was trying to bash through the wall and was making decent progress another two figured out how to navigate the hall and were coming at Dolly. He only had one more shot of special ammo loaded. He had more on him but not enough time to reload, and Pāora lay at his feet unconscious. Williamson figured he would at least take one more with him before he was finished and best to wait until it was close enough to make sure the shot would find its mark.
As the beast bounded towards him he pulled the trigger, through the cloud of gun smoke he watched the creature fall to the ground as the blue ball of magic blasted through its head. The second beast cut around the corpse of its fellow and jumped up and over a map case to flank Dolly. He frantically reached into his jacket to pull out the tin holding the rest of his special bullets, fumbling to see if he could get a cartridge and cap loaded. The creature jumped from it haunches off the top of the map case at the Detective. He dropp the tin of bullets; he readied himself, but the creature never landed, its flight path interrupted when skewered by a spear.
"Arnheim's Javelin of Light; nothing better for slaying monsters," announced Enzo.
"There is another one of them in the studio," Dolly said now having a moment to reload the colt. It required him to refill the cylinder with one of Rose's cartridges then pack it with the lever under the barrel, plus put a firing cap in place. Have to get those fancy cartridges for all my firearms.
Enzo moved over to Pāora to check on his state.
"I'll be all right mate," said Pāora, stumbling to his feet.
"Yes, after you see a Physician, your bones are broken." said Enzo. Rose Strode into the room, she planted a foot on the dead beast and pulled out the Javelin of Light, "Enzo, get Pāora out of here,” Said Rose. The sheet mirror that decorated the upper half of the Reliquary wall fell and shattered, a small opening appeared that the beast used its claws to pull the plaster and slat apart to get through. Rose heaved the spear. Dolly was in awe, it was a heavy iron spear. He doubted he could toss it over thirty feet and not accurately, yet Rose who was half his weight just threw it like an Olympic athlete and it struck the small target of the beast's face that peered through the hole in the wall. Dead, its head with the spear hung through the wall. Rose strode up to the wall and again retrieved the spear.
Dolly saw a fierce determination in Rose. It may have been seeing her suited up in her black cavalry boots, black riders and a long coat with the crimson lining. No, it wasn't the outfit, she had worn that before it was her face, her eyes; they burnt with anger.
"I'm going through that gate to stop this at the source. Dolly, you stay here and protect them," Rose instructed. Rose walked towards the hall to go into the studio, the Detective walked around the dead beasts and followed her. He watched another beast come through the door into the hall and bound towards Rose. She dropped to one knee bracing the spear on the ground the beast impaled itself on the spear with such force the point came through its back, blue wisps of smoke and aether curled from the wound. Rose deftly spun out of the way of the falling corpse grabbing its shoulders to force it to the floor driving the spear through the back where she yanked it through the wound to retrieve her weapon.
"I taught her that," shouted Enzo.
Dolly looked back at him then to Rose.
"Rose, wait," Williamson called.
"No, I won't. This fool needs to be stopped his recklessness know no bounds. We are in my home, where my family lives, and he comes here to murder us to retrieve that vile device. I've had it."
"Detective, let her go," said Enzo, he knew Rose would not stop until her friends and family were safe.
She stepped into the studio, it was a shambles.
Dolly could see the fury build in Rose.
As she walked to the portal, another copper -clad behemoth came through, as it passed into the room Rose thrust the Javelin underneath its hindquarters again the blue spectral fumes released, killing it.
"Don't worry Dolly, I'm just going to let all the smoke out of them. You let none of them upstairs," Dolly was just getting ready to speak when Rose interrupted "I know you're the Boss who am I to tell you what to do?"
"No, I was going to tell you good hunting."
33
Saturday the 30th of March
4:05 p.m The Continental Cattle Company Omaha Nebraska
Rose could see down through the portal. First, the vestibule as Dolly had described, but another gate was open where Allard's beasts were coming through. A quick jab of the spear snuffed the life on the one charging her, who slumped to the floor of the vestibule. She climbed over it and through the next gate.
After experiencing another whirling sensation, she popped up inside a cage. On the other side of it she could see the large factory and hear the sounds of the machinery pounding. Ahead of her, she saw another beast crawling out of a vat of the black ichor first witnessed at the Monastery. It was followed by another, but what she missed was one creature who had already been animated and had yet to find its way through the gate.
It pounced on her knocking her off her feet. Her footing gave way on the slippery ichor covered cement. The spear fell from her hand and clattered across the factory floor out of reach.
She unsheathed the Rod with her right hand and thrust it forward, producing a translucent rune covered shield of energy, deflecting the beasts attack, it tumbled off and rolled across the floor giving her time to crawl over and pick up the spear. Before she could turn around the beast from the vat smashed into her crushing her against the cage. Rose was feeling it harder and harder to breathe, she could barely utter the words: "Sanctus Ignis" Raziel's holy flames engulfed her and ignited the floor where the ichor has spilled. She ignored the creatures and focused on burning through the iron cage; the Rod melted it like wax around her form. As the flames died around her, Rose felt a rush of pain every time she breathed, all she could do was take short, shallow breaths in between stabs of pain. The Holy flames died off along with the metal covered beasts.
Looking around the huge warehouse she saw no-one on the factory floor. Her eye caught a figure on the second floor through a window, the scene was very strange, she slowly walked towards a stairwell leading to the mezzanine office. As she moved closer Rose could make out the figure, it was Marshal Elmore, and he was tied up. Her pace changed, and she ran up the stairs. The door was blocked by the body of the man Rose recognized from Harpsichord, the fellow the Marshal called Leary. She pushed the body to the side of the landing and entered.
"Elmore?" she whispered, scanning the room.
"What took you so long?" That made Rose smile, "Cut me down, please" finished Elmore. Rose looked around for something to cut the rope.
"Check Leary out there, he'll have a knife on him and won't mind if you borrow it,"
Rose came back in with a big bowie knife, "This isn't a knife it's a short sword," Grabbing a chair she stood on it and hacked at the rope. The rope gave, and Elmore dropped to the floor.
"Oh, sorry about that," said Rose climbing down to help Elmore sit up. He was badly
beaten with one eye swollen shut. "We need to get you to a surgeon."
"I'll mend. Don't worry," said Elmore holding his hands out. Rose took the signal and slid the knife in-between Elmore's wrists and cut the rope.
"I thought you were going to Paris to confront the Necronists?"
"We did."
"Well, how long was I hanging there that you got back here?"
"I didn't fly here Elmore, I came through a special gate, something this Necronist Allard uses to move around."
"Would his first name be Henry?”
“You mean Henri,”
“No I meant Henry, but I’ll be sure to get a hangman that can pronounce his name right,” said Elmore.
"I think it is," Rose confirmed.
"He was here. I was talking to him and thought I had persuaded him to give up, then he snapped. He's the one who shot Leary then he took off; I watched from up here as he left he turned on that huge contraption down there then disappeared down to the basement."
"We were led to him by the Necronists, but he got away. The unusual clock you found in Harpsichord, we located another one, and believe these are the devices they use to conjure the portals to move around."
"I have to find out where he has gone before we lose his trail again, he used the device to break into my lab and steal the soul crystal used in the Harpsichord massacre."
"All right, let's go," said Elmore getting to his feet.
"Whaaooo, you, my friend, are in no shape to do anything."
"You don't look much better, I'd say the way you're walking and breathing you have a broken or dislocated rib." said Elmore as he went over to the desk where his jacket, hat, and guns lay.
"I'm going after Allard. What I need you to do is stop that machine, or better yet, destroy it. They use it to manufacture these meat abominations. Allard is using necromancy to animate these beasts and right now they are pouring into my home."