“Look,” Mouser said. He was back at the computer. The fight was right outside Zaki’s window, so he had switched the security monitors to the inside of the arena and turned up the volume. The large flat screen on the wall of the office showed a scene of massive destruction coupled with the eerie stillness that often accompanies the end of a massacre. The lizards were gone, but a few new predators had arrived to sample the spoils including a flock of gargoyles busily picking through the dead looking for the choicest bits.
One predator, however, stood alone, surveying the collateral damage left behind by the triumph of science over morality with supreme indifference. He had won, the rest was not his concern.
Zaki Kiriyenko absently brushed an invisible speck of debris off the lapel of his impeccable suit jacket, turned on his expensive designer heel, and stepped back into the floating Skybox. The glass door closed behind him with an inaudible snap and the box began to rise into the air.
Cassius stared at the screen. His lips had drawn away from his teeth and the skin of his face had gone grey and tight against his skull. The room went silent.
“Pull up the blueprints to the arena,” he said. “I want to know the fastest way to that Skybox.” He held up the thumb drive. “You take these kids and get this back to the Deeps any way you have to do it. Swear you’ll make it happen.”
“You can’t go after Zaki on your own, C.T. He won’t be alone and look at the damage a few demons with medieval weapons have already managed to do. You’d never make it. And even if you did, he’d kill you without a second thought.”
“I’ll take it,” Mouser said, reaching for the thumb drive. “Me, Starr and the Lab Rats--we can get everyone to the train.”
“I’m going after Zaki,” Cassius said. “He killed my wife. He kidnapped my son. He took what I was creating for the good of mankind and turned it into a perverted weapon that demons are going to use for their own evil purposes. He’s here and I’m going to kill him if it’s the last thing I do.”
“I can’t believe I’m saying this,” Bishop told him. “But I’m either coming with you or I’m going to knock you unconscious, tie you up and drag you to the train.”
“Look. Angels.”
“What?” All eyes turned toward Suzee. She was standing at the window, her forehead pressed to the glass.
“The angels. They came to save us kids, just like they said they would. They’re beautiful.”
“Susan Elizabeth Morgan was absolutely right. Backlit against a rising harvest moon, the sky outside the window was full of winged figures, both dark and light.”
“Holy shit!” Mouser said. “Those are Raptors and the guys in white look like the statues on the four corners of the Angel Tower on the Guardian Building. Holy shit!”
“Mouser! They’re angels. They’ll hear you.” Suzee said.
When Bishop turned around, Cassius was gone.
“Damnation!”
“You! Bodyguard, what the hell?”
“Mr. Kale took George and Sean with him. I have orders to get y’all to the train and that’s what I’m going to do. So listen up! Anything that isn’t a weapon and doesn’t fit in your pocket, drop it. Anyone old enough for a driver’s license, up front. The rest of you Lab Rats, grab a kid. If they need a bear, grab it now. We will not be coming back.”
Mouser scooped the maps he’d just printed out of the copier. Bishop handed Mouser the thumb drive. Mouser gave Bishop a quirky smile. He’d been responsible for getting this data so it was his to protect and deliver because it was going to save the world. It was a hacker’s dream come true.
“Take a map, dude,” he said. “Better hurry. He’s got a head start.”
“Stay safe kid,” Bishop said.
Mouser hung the cord connected to the thumb drive around his neck and dropped the device inside his shirt. “Neither rain, nor snow, nor demon might . . .”
But Bishop was already out the door.
- 27 -
Lena, Queen of The Cage was waiting for Zaki inside the Skybox. She was dressed in a black pantsuit and high heeled boots. Two metal suitcases stood next to her feet, packed and ready to go, just as Mr. Kiriyenko had requested.
Nicolai Tesslovich was pacing a nervous groove in the carpet by the windows. Ten steps one way, ten steps back.
“It’s absolute pandemonium out there.” He said to Zaki as soon as the outer doors shut behind him. “I don’t understand why the Houses are trying to chase down two Raptors when we have important business to conduct. This is simply unacceptable! This building is falling down around our ears. We need to leave.”
“My business here is done, Nicolai. I am leaving. Lena, bring the cases, the submersible is waiting.”
“A submarine? What are you talking about? Where’s the helicopter you promised?”
“Plans have changed. I have a small underwater craft that will take Lena and myself to the other side of the lake. I’m afraid there’s only room for two, and my prototypes of course.”
“You bastard!” Tesslovich said. “We’re partners! After all I’ve done for you. All I’ve been through! Did you forget I’m a lawyer and we have a contract? You can’t get away with cheating me out of my share! I’ll sue you. I’ll take what you’re doing to the courts, to the media, to the Houses. I’ll ruin you!”
The Skybox stopped its ascent. The door to the private elevator opened in the back wall. Lena picked up the cases, her face was without expression. She did whatever Mr. Kiriyenko wanted. She could crush Tesslovich like a bug. Zaki had only to ask.
Tesslovich looked around frantically for something to use to stop them from leaving. There was still one Angel Slayer on the table, almost hidden by the rumpled demon skins. He grabbed it by the hilt. Although it was corroded with poison, he knew it was still very sharp. One cut would do the job, or at least disable Zaki to the point that he could be persuaded to take Tesslovich with him instead of the demon girl. Didn’t all the legal manipulations, betrayals and vicious business deals Tesslovich had done for Zaki and his company over the years mean anything? He’d been promised billions in return. He wouldn’t be turned away like a beggar at the door.
Zaki reached into his suit coat pocket. It was a casual gesture, without haste despite Tesslovich’s weapon. He pulled out a small device about the size of a cell phone and pointed it at the lawyer.
“Is that tiny thing a weapon?” Tesslovich asked contemptuously. “I survived a decapitation. Your devices have made me immune to death. You should hope that they’ve done the same for you, you half-breed coward.”
Zaki pushed a button. Tesslovich took one step forward, dropped the sword and clutched at his face. Green goo began to stream from his nose, ears and eyes. His body heaved and shuddered, then seemed to collapse in on itself, losing fluids, deflating, becoming virtually boneless until it was little more than a sack of skin lying on the floor. There was a final scrabble of fingernails against the carpet and it was still.
“You forget, Nicolai. I invented those little devices. I control them. What saved you also has the power to kill you. It’s a lesson my patron will someday learn for himself.” He dropped the device back into his pocket and turned toward the open elevator.
“I see no reason to linger further, my dear,” he said. “Let’s be off.”
* * *
The map Mouser had given Bishop was confusing. Maybe, Bishop conceded, running after C.T. Kale on his own had been a bad idea. Zaki was more than dangerous, he probably had body guards, and what was Bishop? One guy with a sword and a gun full of demon loads.
He took another look at the map. There was no YOU ARE HERE arrow of course, but it looked like the quickest way to the Skyboxes was a service passage that ran behind the arena wall. They seemed to be served by both a freight elevator and five private elevators that ran to each of the boxes. Bishop headed for the freight elevator. He met no one the entire trip and stepped out into a deserted corridor when the elevator stopped. Everything was extremely quiet, as if the wall
s had been soundproofed against the raucous noise produced by the arena. After the cacophony of last few hours the silence made him feel like he might be the last man left on earth. That post-apocalyptic scenario hit him a little too close to home and Bishop found himself hurrying to catch up with Cassius.
Luckily each box had a back door as well as an elevator. The one to Skybox One had been pried open and stood slightly ajar. He heard a familiar voice inside and called out “Don’t shoot me” before he pulled the door wide enough to slip through. Inside, C.T. Kale’s bodyguards had their guns ready and pointing at him anyway when he entered the Skybox. Cassius himself was down on his haunches poking at something on the floor with a chopstick. It was vaguely man-shaped and the stick was covered in green goo.
“What is that?” Bishop asked him.
“I think it’s the remains of Nicolai Tesslovich.”
“Looks like somebody turned the counselor into a rug.”
“That’s more accurate than you might think. His bones and internal organs seem to have totally dissolved. All that’s left is his skin and clothing.”
“Is that a demon thing?”
“Nope. I think this body was attacked and destroyed by its own nanobots.”
“Spontaneously?”
Cassius shook his head. “More likely they were programmed to do this if given the right trigger.”
Bishop glanced around. “No Zaki, huh?”
Cassius got to his feet. “Already gone,” he said. He bent over and picked up a sword that lay only a few inches from Tesslovich’s left hand. “I think this is one of those Angel Slayers things I keep hearing about. Let’s wrap it up and take it with us. If I can analyze the poison maybe I can determine how to counteract its effects.” He handed the sword to one of the bodyguards, who wrapped it in a scarlet demon skin, which unfortunately seemed the least risky way to carry the weapon.
There was the sound of a muffled explosion, and then another. The Skybox swayed on its supports. Bottles on the buffet table fell over and loose decorative items crashed to the floor.
“What was that?”
“My guess would be the lab,” Cassius said. “We need to get to the train before this building goes up as well.”
Bishop looked out the Skybox window. The screens in the arena were faltering but most were still broadcasting the battle outside. Even though the outside lights were on and a nearly full moon had finally escaped the clouds gathering over the lake, it remained impossible to tell one Raptor in combat from another. As he watched, a male Raptor plummeted through the opening in the roof to the floor below. His body didn’t move. The air began to fill with smoke.
“Ariel,” Bishop began, making a vague gesture toward the screens.
C.T. put his hand on Bishop’s shoulder. “She’s out there with her own kind, Frank. She was trained for this so odds are she’ll make it. We can’t wait here to find out. You need to come with us.”
Bishop nodded. Frankly, there was nothing else he could think of to do.
* * *
Ariel crooked her finger at the yellow demon. Her leg had started to throb again, reminding her that putting weight on it was a bad idea. All around her the battle raged on. The wolves, Deepers and released adolescents were mopping up the ground with the lesser demons. They were surrounded and could neither fly, hide or run away.
The angels, or knights, or whatever they were, were battling flying lizards and armored demons who were attacking in groups. The lizards had become both numerous and enormous. The House demons were wily and vicious, but the knights appeared to be a match for both. Ariel had even gotten a glimpse of the Guardian. The old bastard had taken on a couple of armored house demons and seemed to actually be enjoying himself.
Raptors were everywhere, in the air, on the ground, fighting, going to the aid of Deepers, pulling wounded out of the fray. Zaki’s prisoners fought right along with their rescuers. They had a lot of scores to settle. The gargoyles seemed to have wisely disappeared.
To give the yellow demon credit, she’d come to the party expecting an easy win and instead she was fighting for her life. Even with the tide of battle turning, her arrogance was still in place. Ariel could tell that by the disdain with which she killed. She’d wanted to do battle with angels and the ones that had come to the fight weren’t even flesh and blood.
* * *
If Ariel had the yellow demon in her sights, the demon obviously had the same thought about her. Things had been going according to plan until they and all their friends arrived. Zaki had orchestrated a show for the other demon houses but he had already struck a deal with the House of Eight. The families of the Eight would have the real technology, the other houses would be given bots programmed to respond to certain outside commands including the destruction of their hosts. In addition there were bots that could control the will of whole armies of humans or demons. The House of Eight would rule the world as they had done for thousands of years before angels and humans drove them underground. And now look!
The demon looked around for the female Raptor. She wasn’t the only female Raptor but she was the one Zoven hated the most. If the House of Eight was going down to defeat this night, Zoven would make sure this Raptor didn’t live to see it.
- 28 -
There was blood on the white tiles of the subway steps and walls. Some of it was red, but most of it wasn’t. When Bishop, Cassius and the two guards stepped out onto the platform, the guns on top of the train cars tracked their progress. They put their hands over their heads. It seemed the wisest thing to do.
“Walk forward sir,” a voice called. “Keep your hands where we can see them. Are you alone? Is there anyone behind you? What’s that you’re holding Mr. Kale?”
“We’re alone, Jason. I have a demon sword with me. I can lay it on the platform if you want to examine it.”
“They’re clear,” another voice said. “Sorry sir. Just being cautious. Please proceed to the train.”
A door slid open and hands helped them inside.
“What’s going on?” Bishop asked.
“We had a demon attack. They used some of our soldiers as shields to get close to the train. We lost people. We’re not taking any chances no matter who shows up.”
“Good idea.” Cassius said.
“We sent some kids on ahead of us. Did they . . .?”
“They made it Mr. Bishop. The young ones are over there. The others are helping out with the wounded in the next car. Pitched right in like they’d done it before.”
Cassius handed the wrapped sword to one of the guards. “Put this somewhere safe,” he said. “Somewhere no one can touch it.”
* * *
The second train car was full of wounded. The Lab Rats were doing what they could to help, carrying water, passing bandages, holding instruments. Starr was helping stitch someone up. She seemed to know what she was doing.
“She’s good,” Mouser’s voice said as he came up behind Bishop. “The Rats got torn up a lot when they fought. They took care of each other.”
Bishop swung around. Mouser was okay! He’d made it! He had an irrational impulse to hug the kid which he suppressed by putting his hands in his pockets.
“So, Starr?” he said to Mouser. “Seems like a keeper, huh?”
Mouser actually blushed. “I need to give the thumb drive to Mr. Kale,” he mumbled.
Bishop jerked a thumb toward the first train car and Mouser made a beeline toward the connecting door.
Bishop looked around. Wounded were everywhere. So were the dead, covered in sheets, waiting for who knew what? The Rapture seemed a long way off.
He spotted Sister Mary Catherine. She’d put an apron over her jeans and sweatshirt and wrapped her hair in a piece of white rag to keep it out of the way. The apron had a considerable amount of blood on it, her face was drawn and there were deep circles under her eyes. She’d come for more bandages and was going back to the last car with them.
Bishop threaded his way through the make
shift stretchers and pallets. “Cate?”
“Frank!” she said. “You’re still alive. Thank God for that. I’d toss a few more prayers for you in His direction, but at the moment I’m too busy asking Him to cut the wounded a break.”
One of Cassius’ men stuck his head through the connecting door. “We’re getting ready to move this train out. A larger infirmary has been set up in the Hauptmann garages. Medical staff are standing by. We’ll offload these wounded and come back for more. If you have bodies to move to Zaki’s train, please do it now. Anybody staying at this end, detrain.”
“I’ll stay,” Sister Catherine called out. “They’ll be more wounded before this train comes back.” Other Deepers, armed and not, volunteered to stay as well. Mouser, Starr and a couple other Lab Rats got off the train. Bishop found himself reluctantly putting his feet back on the platform. Cassius was standing there.
“I’m going back to my lab for a few things, Frank. We’ll send more medical supplies, water, and a fresh team back with the train. You sure you want to stay?”
Bishop looked over at Mouser and Starr and Sister Catherine. “If they’re staying I’m staying.”
Sister Catherine climbed into the morgue car. She had a bowl of clean water in her hands and she’d pulled her rosary out from under her shirt. She began to bless the dead. Bishop waved Starr, Mouser and the other Rats out of the car. This wasn’t a job for kids.
“Take five,” he told them. “Get some water. Have a sit. There’ll be plenty more to do in a little while. And guys? Stay frosty. The demons came in this way, and more may try to leave this way.”
Bishop was glad to see Deepers with automatic weapons crawling onto the top of Zaki’s fancy train. No one was taking any chances on being surprised.
Raptor: Urban Fantasy Noir Page 38