by N. P. Martin
"When I first found the book," Grayson said. "I spent days just sitting there staring at it like you are now. I literally couldn't take my eyes off it. Little did I know that this is a final security measure to prevent people from opening the book even if they managed to find it." Grayson clicked his fingers then, and I snapped out of my daze like some chump on stage with a hypnotist. "I've just released you from the book's hold."
He wasn't lying. I found I could look away from the book now if I wanted to. Not that I really wanted to anyway. The bibliophile in me was busy having multiple orgasms at the sight of that wondrous book. "I've never..."
"I know," Grayson said. "Very few have. You can thank my daughter for allowing us both to see it."
"I don't understand."
"It was she who found a way to break me free from the trance I was in at the time. She didn't stare at the book long enough to become entranced herself, probably because she hated the book before she even laid eyes on it, but that's...something else." Grayson looked down for a moment. "Anyway, smart girl that she is, Jordan used a magick ritual from one of my spell books to bring one of the Protectors of Light back to life for a brief time, long enough to learn how to break the trance. As it turns out, you had to be wearing a special pendant, which each of the Protectors had around their necks. Not that I need such silly trinkets now, of course." He gave a small laugh as purple magick danced around his eyes like an indicator of his supreme power.
"Can I open it?" Christ, I was like a kid at Christmas, seriously.
Grayson laughed at me being me again. "No, Creed, you most certainly cannot." He waved his hands over the book then and made it disappear once more.
"Spoilsport," I said to him.
Sitting back down in his chair, Grayson made the door open behind me with a wave of his hand. "You've had your fun, Creed. Now get out."
I stared at him a moment longer, seeing the dark seriousness in his eyes now and thinking, Yes, there it is. The real Gordon Grayson, hiding in there behind a mask of civility.
As I left the room, one thought dominated my mind:
How long would it be before the real Gordon Grayson came out to play?
20
Walking Away
As I walked away from Grayson's office, I couldn't help but feel defeated. There had been almost no point in me infiltrating SciCane in the first place since not a single thing I'd done so far had helped put a stop to Grayson and his plans. Hell, I'd helped the man with his broadcast to the world, which no doubt amused Grayson, especially since he'd known all along I was there to try and stop him. Sure, I'd verified that he had the Dark Codex in his possession, but the book might as well have been kept at the other side of the universe. There was no way I could access it, and definitely not without magick. Indeed, without magick, I felt castrated and powerless to do anything. Getting my magick back had to be my main priority for now and to do that, I would have to find a way to leave the Grayson Dimension and then return to it once I had a plan in place. Only trouble was, Gordon and Jordan were the only ones who could open the gate to Earth, and I wasn't sure if Jordan would be willing to let me out of that prison. Only one way to find out, I supposed.
I checked the main hall first because that's where everyone seemed to be as they prepared for the next broadcast. Sam was there, and he came running up when he saw me. "Isn't this exciting?" he beamed. "Everyone in the world will soon be able to use magick."
"Yeah," I said, still looking around for Jordan. "I can hardly contain myself."
A frown replaced Sam's smile. "What's wrong, Creed? You don't seem excited."
I sighed as I looked at Sam. "That's because I'm not, and neither should you be, Sam. All you people need to wake up and get the hell out of here."
"What? Why?"
"I don't have time to explain. Grayson is not who you think he is, Sam. It's not safe here. Once the broadcast is finished, he'll have no use for any of you anymore."
Sam shook his head like it was blasphemy coming out of my mouth. "Creed...I thought you were one of us."
"Fuck's sake, Sam." I grabbed him by the shoulders. "Wake up! Nothing about this is right. Grayson is on his way to ending the fucking world. Can't you see that?"
Sam shrugged out of my grip. It was the first time I'd ever seen him angry. "You've been lying," he said before pointing his chubby finger at me. "You're not one of us." Then he raised his voice as he looked around at the others in the hall. "He is not one of us!"
Every head in the room turned to look at me then with angry suspicion in their eyes. Then they all pointed at me and said in unison, "Not one of us!"
Fuck me, I thought. I felt like Donald Sutherland in the final scene of Invasion Of The Bodysnatchers, about to be mobbed by a bunch of brainwashed freaks. "Stay back!" I shouted as I went to move back out of the hall. But I was surrounded by the SciCane loyalists, and every one of them still pointed their finger at me as they shouted, "Not one of us! Not one of us! Not one of us!"
Creepy motherfuckers. I'll bet Grayson was watching this from somewhere, highly amused by it all, not caring if his crowd of freaks decided to rip me apart with their bare hands, which they seemed like they wanted to do as they inched closer, closing in around me. No matter what way I went to move, my path was blocked. How the fuck am I going to get out this? I wondered. I had no magick, no weapons to defend myself. Nothing. I could probably use my fists, but there were too many of them, and this wasn't some Korean action flick where the main star kicks the ass of dozens of bad guys one after the other until they were all down. Unfortunately, real life didn't work that way. In reality, I would probably get a few punches in before getting jumped and dragged to the ground. Then I'd be stomped to death like a giant cockroach.
Just as my mind was turning over that pleasant thought, a voice somehow managed to cut through the chanting of the crowd. "Enough! That's enough! Stand down! Now!"
There was some commotion nearby as the crowd parted and I saw Jordan push her way through towards me. I'd never been more relieved to see anyone at that moment. "Thank Christ," I muttered.
The crowd had stopped chanting as all eyes went to Jordan. "Get back to work!" Jordan shouted with impressive volume and authority in her voice. If I was a SciCane puppet, there was no way I would defy those orders. And indeed, the freaks did as they were told, lowering their pointing fingers and shuffling off back to whatever they were doing. Sam narrowed his eyes at me and then shook his head at me. "Traitor," he spat before walking away.
And that's the thanks you get for helping people, I thought. Traitor indeed. Seriously.
"Let's go, Creed," Jordan ordered. "We have a place for traitors like you."
Traitors like me? I frowned at her and shook my head. Her as well? "Really, Jordan?"
Jordan motioned with her head. "Let's go, I said."
I sighed. "Fine."
Jordan led me out of the hall then, through a side door and out to a narrow corridor. "It's time for you to go," she said staring at me with her strangely emotionless blue eyes.
I couldn't help but think about everything that her father had told me. About the bloodstained life Jordan had led for so many years. Was still leading. "Go where? Some dark hole somewhere?"
She shook her head. "Back to Earth."
"You're letting me go?" I was surprised as she no doubt knew by now the real reason I was there. If she didn't figure it out the night before while we were drinking, her father had probably informed her by now. Either way, she didn't seem all that pissed about it. No more pissed than usual anyhow.
"Would you rather stay and be ripped apart by the mob? They'll do it, you know."
"Oh, I know. Why are you helping me?" She began walking then, and I started after her. "Well?"
"Does it matter?"
I fell into step beside her. "You should come with me."
She snorted and shook her head. "No."
"No?" I couldn't understand her reluctance to leave. "Why not? There's nothing left for yo
u to do once your father unleashes magick to the masses. Speaking of which, can't you stop him?"
Jordan turned a corner into a wider hallway. "And why would I do that?"
"Because what your father is doing is wrong, and you know it is."
"I don't care."
I grabbed her by the arm then to stop her, and she quickly pulled out of my grip and gave me a hard stare like she was going to attack me, so I held up my hands. "Hey, I'm just trying to make you see sense here, Jordan. I know what you've been through--"
"No, you don't. Stop pretending like you do."
"Alright, I know some of what you've been through. Your father told me a lot as well. The point is, there's nothing here for you, Jordan."
"There is nothing anywhere for me," she said in a flat voice, then she walked off, and I followed after her.
"You only think that now," I told her. "There's still time for you to have a normal life."
Jordan stopped suddenly and slammed me into the wall with shocking strength and speed. "Just fucking stop, Creed. I don't need your help. I don't need anything from you. I just want you gone."
"Why?" I asked defiantly. "Because I make you uncomfortable? Because I have the nerve to point out a different path for you?"
"There is no different path. No redemption road. All roads lead to pain."
"Maybe so, but some paths also lead to other things as well."
"What like? Love?" She shook her head derisively.
"Maybe. The point is, possibilities exist. There are no such possibilities here, and you know it."
"Did it ever occur to you that I don't care, or that I might be happy with that?"
I shook my head as she let me go and took a step back. "Well, if you're happy with that then there is something seriously wrong, Jordan."
Jordan stared at me for a long moment like I didn't get it, then she shook her head. "The gate is this way."
She led me there without saying another word, entering the room where the gate was and standing to the side so I could walk towards it. But instead, I turned to her. "You should know," I said. "I'm not going to stop until I have the Dark Codex. It's just too dangerous, and I'll be damned if I leave the equivalent of a nuclear bomb in the hands of..." I trailed off.
Jordan made a face. "It's okay, you can say it, Creed," she said, her voice tinged with bitterness and self-loathing.
Sighing, I took a step towards her. "You're not at fault, Jordan. Your father is."
"I made my own decisions."
I shook my head. "No, you didn't."
A scowl creased her forehead, and she looked away for a moment. "Just go, Creed."
"We can make this right, Jordan," I persisted. "You can help me get the book and then--"
She pulled out her gun and pointed it at my head. "I said go. Now."
I held her gaze for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. I'll go." I walked towards the shimmering gate and stood in front of it, paused for a second and then turned to look at Jordan again. "You're wrong about all roads leading to pain. Not all of them do."
Gun still in hand, Jordan's face softened for a second, and her blue eyes glistened as if she was going to cry, but I didn't wait for her to do so. Instead, I told her she knew where to find me, and then I stepped through the gate to see what kind of world Gordon Grayson had created with his outing of the monsters.
21
Wtf!
I have to admit, I was dreading teleporting out of the sewers after I came through the gate. I had visions of angry mobs stalking the streets in search of supernatural beings so they could kill them and hang the bodies from lamp posts as a warning to others. I was expecting the city to have gone crazy with fear and bloodlust, but when I landed in an alley and walked out into the main street, things appeared to be normal. No hanging bodies, no crowds of monster hunters, no blood washing the streets. But that didn't mean things hadn't changed. Underneath the apparent normality, I could sense the uneasiness that seemed to permeate the air. The fear even. There was no doubt that Grayson's broadcast, helped by me, had had an effect. As I stood in the early evening cold, I noticed there were few if any supernaturals walking or hanging around. The vampires would usually be out by now, getting ready to hunt their dinner. I saw none amongst the crowds of Sleepwalkers. I didn't see any werewolves hanging around the bars either, nor any other supernatural. A few demons in stolen meat suits. That's all.
As I walked down the street, I noticed people were cagier than usual. Many of them were staring at me and did double takes. Then I realized they recognized me from the broadcast. Shit. I was so caught up with everything I'd forgot my face had been plastered on every screen throughout the world. And just to verify this, I stopped by an electronics store that had several TV's in the window, all showing the same video footage of the SciCane broadcast, which was interrupted only by reporters and commentators as they discussed aspects of the broadcast. One news headline read: ARE THE MONSTERS REAL? Another banner headline read: MAN KILLS REAL LIFE VAMPIRE! AMAZING FOOTAGE! Above the headline, a video of a man shooting and then staking a young vampire was playing over and over. A message flashed on the screen: IS IT LEGAL TO KILL A MONSTER? DO YOU CARE? CALL US! LET US KNOW!
And then on the biggest screen, I cringed when I saw a still picture of me from the broadcast as I stood on the stage with the restrained supernaturals behind me. The headline underneath said: DO YOU KNOW THIS MAN? CALL NOW!
Something told me it would be best if I got off the streets.
"Hey, mister!" There was some teenage kid behind me when I turned around. "That's you, isn't it? It's really you. Oh my God!"
"Piss off, kid," I said as I started to walk away.
Then someone else said. "It's him, the monster hunter from the video!"
Before I knew it, there was a crowd of people closing in on me, all talking at once as they asked if the video was real, and what's the best way to kill a vampire and what's your name and are we all going to get eaten by monsters and is the world going to end and--
I ran into the nearest alley. Once there, I teleported to the only place I ever felt truly safe.
The Sanctum.
There was no sign of Blaez when I made it to the Sanctum, so I assumed he was out somewhere in invisible mode, probably stalking small animals in the park, a favorite pastime of Blaez's. In the living room, I poured myself a whiskey and sat down on the chair nearest the fireplace. Then I let out a long breath and sank back into the seat for a few moments while I closed my eyes, grateful for the safety of the Sanctum, at least for a little while. I still had much to do.
Taking my phone out of my trench coat pocket, I expected the device to be chock full of messages and missed calls that I wouldn't have received in the Grayson Dimension, and would only have come through when I left. And indeed, I had dozens of messages and missed calls from people. I hardly needed to look at the messages to know what most of them said. The text from Forsyth, my vampire friend, summed things up nicely: WTF??!!
The rest of the text messages were a mixture of threats and disbelief that I could do such a thing as expose the supernatural underground to an unsuspecting world. Goddamn it, I thought. Maybe I should have tried some other way to get Grayson and the Dark Codex. By going undercover, I had made things worse it seemed. But thinking about it, I didn't know what else I was supposed to do. Grayson was practically untouchable with all his magick power and increased knowledge. Plus, he existed in another dimension, which made him hard to get to.
Fuck it. At least I confirmed Grayson has the book, and I know where he keeps it. Sort of.
As far as I could tell, Grayson kept the book inside a pocket dimension that only he had access to. As far as security went, it was the safest place in the universe.
Unless I could figure out a way to crack the safe, so to speak.
It was an idea I had already given some thought to, and I had already decided to go and see Sanaka about it, the one man I knew who could possibly help me.
But fi
rst, I decided to call Forsyth and explain what was going on before he sent out a lynch mob to hunt me down. After that I would call into Division to give Brentwood an update, who going by the string of missed calls and texts I'd received from him, was also probably considering sending a mob to find me by that point.
Forsyth's phone rang twice before he picked up. "Hey, Forsyth," I said rather sheepishly. "How's it going?"
"Don't you fucking hey Forsyth me," the vampire said in an angry tone, which was saying something because Forsyth rarely got angry about anything. "You have some nerve calling me after what you did."
"Forsyth, calm down. I can explain. It's not what you think."
"Not what I think?" He laughed coldly. "You fucking exposed us to the world! Seems pretty fucking clear to me, Creed."
I shook my head, wondering if everyone I met from now on was going to be equally as caustic. I couldn't blame them if they were. "That was going to happen with or without my participation. There was no stopping it. Come on, Forsyth. You know I would never do something as mad as that unless I had to."
"Had to?"
"I went undercover in SciCane to try and stop them."
Forsyth laughed. "And what a great fucking job you did at stopping them. You ended up helping them. Fucking SciCane. I mean, who are these loonies anyway?"
"It's really just one guy. Gordon Grayson. And he has the Dark Codex."
"What?" Forsyth went silent for a moment. "That's impossible. The Dark Codex is just a stupid myth. Everyone knows that."
"It exists. I've seen it."