by K. T. Tomb
He knew she was patronizing him. She thought nothing of his prowess, whether it was in bed or on the battlefield. It burned him inside and he considered turning the flamethrower in her direction, but snapped back at her with a sharp tone instead.
“Save your sarcasm, witch. Stay close; I want to see the look in your eyes when I conquer these women.”
“I will be close enough, Alexey,” she answered, with a snarl in her voice. “Do what you must. I don’t understand why you must burn all of the forest though.”
He laughed.
“It would take all year to burn every tree, Sulina! I will burn enough to get me to the Trees of Life and Knowledge. They, as you know, do not burn so easily.”
Sulina was shocked that he knew as much about the trees. Is he going after the Tree of Knowledge as well?
“We will be back soon. Have fun.”
She looked at Ellisia, who nodded and then followed behind Sulina’s long strides.
Alexey nodded to several of his men. Five of them followed Sulina at a distance.
“I will, Sulina. I will.”
His grin became a sinister one as he turned and clamped down on the trigger of the flamethrower and sent a roaring burst of fire in the direction of the first tree near him.
***
Geronimo maneuvered his tank to a position which was still about 100 yards away from the trucks, but continued to keep his position from being discovered. He made sure to point the barrel of the tank gun in their direction, just in case there were any more surprises. Sitting there watching the empty convoy seemed like a waste of time. He knew what Evan was up to and why, but sitting still didn’t suit him.
“I really should have a closer look at those trucks,” he muttered to himself.
It was a short debate before he convinced himself that taking a closer look was the better part of wisdom. He loaded up with more weaponry than the Mac 10 and started out toward the row of parked trucks, veering toward the lead truck first.
He checked on his prisoner and then started to explore along the line of remaining vehicles while humming a Pharrell Williams tune.
Geronimo remained ready and alert for surprises as he searched each truck. He suspected that there would be supplies left behind, considering how well the trucks had been packed.
He looked back toward where his hostage was being kept before and after he searched each truck. Jess had informed him and Knight that once they were inside of Eden, communication would be nonexistent with the outside world. He sighed for every walkie-talkie he left behind in the trucks. He took four just in case.
Geronimo became more nervous the further he was away from the protection of the tank. It was a small fortress of its own, which had given his already solid confidence an additional boost. After the way he felt driving that monster to Sahand, he never wanted to feel anything else around him. Well, except for the loving arms of my wife.
He reached the seventh truck in his search and found mostly gum wrappers, cigarette butts, and a couple of Russian porn magazines. He couldn’t explain those to Molly, so those got left behind. He threw back the cover to the truck and felt his heart race.
He’d found a military munitions box.
Geronimo could tell it was Iranian by the distinctive writing. He opened the box, thinking he would find bullets but instead, found it packed with locally-made copies of the German M-DN 11 hand grenades. Again, he knew they were copies because of the writing on them. There were fifteen to be exact. He removed his backpack and carefully placed each grenade into it, after first wrapping each one in clothing and seat covers. Instead of loading the last one in his backpack, he tucked it in his waistband and reached for the bag to leave.
He shook his fist in victory and at the exact same time he felt the barrel of a gun being pressed up against his side.
“American bastard! On your knees! Hands behind your head!”
His hands went slowly to his sides and the soldier backed away to give him room to get down on the ground in the demanded position.
He looked over his shoulder to see three Iranian soldiers pointing their handguns at him. Geronimo got on his knees and made a bungled effort to conceal the bag lying on the ground in front of him. The trick worked and one of the soldiers yelled, “What’s in the bag? Pass it here.”
Smiling to himself, Geronimo moved as if to grab the bag. As soon as his hand was out of sight, he drew the grenade he had just tucked into his waistband, pulled the pin and dropped the live grenade into the backpack.
“Hey, pals. Want to see what I have in my backpack?” he said, smiling through clenched teeth as he tossed the backpack at them and scrambled for cover.
***
The members of the Spetsnaz who had been watching Geronimo looked on through their binoculars. The first man tilted his head and asked, “Should we assist this American?”
Before the second man could answer, the truck where Geronimo was cornered blew up in a fierce fireball. It was odd how the adjoining trucks only received blackened paint.
The second man calmly put his binoculars away and said, “I don’t think that will be necessary. He seems to have taken care of it.”
Both men laughed as the first one pulled out his phone to make a phone call.
***
Sulina and Ellisia arrived at the sealed metal door that led to the Mountain of God fortress. It would have proven a turning point for the Daughters in the war, if not for the betrayal of one of their own.
Sulina folded her arms in front of her and placed her index and middle fingers on her lips while she examined the puzzle before her.
“Ellisia, I hope that you have some ideas on how to get inside. I understand that since the doors operated on some sort of electronic mechanism, it could be a chore to open it.”
Ellisia didn’t respond as she felt along the edge of the door. The doors slid open and closed when they worked. She inserted her fingers into the thin slot that the door slid into as Sulina saw the five soldiers that Alexey sent to spy on her. She was about to talk to them when suddenly there were three whooshing sounds. Three of the soldiers had blank expressions as they started to make gurgling sounds. Blood squirted from each of their necks as their heads slid slowly off of their bodies. Each one hit the ground with a splat.
The bodies of the men soon followed suit as they slumped to the ground. The other two men panicked as they raised their weapons toward Sulina. A tall blonde woman appeared before one man. In a blur of speed, she sliced through his neck with her machete.
She was a Fallen.
She then did a back roundhouse kick to the other soldier, when two more Fallen appeared and cut the soldier to pieces with their own machetes. After the man was dead, they proceeded to feast on his flesh like wild animals. They tore his skin apart with their teeth as the blonde walked up to Sulina.
Sulina shook her head.
“You started my war with Konstantin earlier than I wanted by killing his men, Morina.”
Morina embraced Sulina after being separated for too long. She breathed a sigh of relief and pushed back, so as not to smother her leader.
Morina then looked up into the afternoon sky. She laughed and lifted her arms into the air. Her joy was as real as her confusion.
“Is this your doing, my Queen? How is it that the Fallen are able to stand in the sunlight? A miracle?”
“Don’t go that far,” Sulina snarled. “We are in Eden. We are of Eden. Put us back into Eden and we gain strength and… certain immunities.”
Morina glared at Ellisia.
“What of the Daughter? She is a Fallen now? Did she eat of the Tree of Knowledge?”
Sulina laughed.
“Foolish Morina. I am the sister of Myora IL Eve and the first Fallen. I am the only one who can turn the Daughters without the assistance of any tree. I turned her for one reason only. Newly Fallen, her strength is incomparable and I have a task for her.” She looked at the three Fallen as her laughter ended abruptly and waved a hand
toward the small group. She had expected to see others among them. “What is this, Morina? Where is Gandil? Where are the others?”
Morina lowered her head. “Forgive me, my Queen. We are all who escaped. Evan Knight proved more than formidable. He was aided by a Daughter. Jessima IL Eve.”
Fire blazed up in Sulina’s eyes as her anger reached a height that Morina had never seen before.
“Evan Knight? In trying to stay one step ahead of Konstantin, I almost forgot about the supposed Chosen One.”
Morina, Ellisia, and the other Fallen dropped to their knees and were not prepared for what came next. Sulina grabbed large clumps of her own hair in frustration. She then let out a bloodcurdling scream that sounded more like the cry of a banshee.
All in Eden heard the cry. Shala stopped near the cleansing pool of water and turned toward the sound. Alexey and his men who made their way through the forest froze in their tracks. Alexey smiled almost as if he knew the origin. The Daughters heard it as well, but continued to find places that would gain them an advantage in the coming battle.
Sulina breathed heavily. “Get up, my Fallen. We have work to do. Ellisia, take care of the door to the Daughters’ lair.”
Without a thought, Ellisia wedged her fingers into the thin metal track that the door slid into once again. She then pulled back with considerable difficulty. The track started to give as Morina looked on in shock at the power of the Daughter. Every muscle in her arms strained against the superhuman feat. Metal creaked and eventually cracked as Ellisia fell backward. She rubbed her arms, took a breath, and then went back to work. She slipped her fingers into the new opening that she had created and placed each fingertip against the door. She then followed the door with her fingers and pushed on through to find the door’s end. The skin on the back of her fingers was being slowly scraped off as she let out pained grunts. She didn’t stop, no matter how painful it was. The others moved to help her but Sulina raised a hand to stop them.
Ellisia’s arm muscles once again were taxed to the limit. She leaned back and placed one foot on the edge of the door frame to brace herself as she pulled the door toward her. They watched her intently.
The metal door started to give, to the amazement of the others, including Sulina. The metal started to bend just a bit as Sulina saw the opening. It was about an inch, but it increased with each of Ellisia’s strained grunts. Once the opening was about a foot, Ellisia reversed positions. She placed her back against the edge where she had her foot and started to push the door out. It slid another foot before it bent downward. There was just enough of an opening for a human being to get through… or a Fallen.
“Well done, Ellisia. You did not disappoint.”
Sulina stepped halfway through the opening and looked back at her followers.
“I want Morina to bring up the rear. The rest of you just follow along between us.”
Ellisia walked up to Sulina before she disappeared into the lair. Blood dripped steadily from her knuckles.
“Are we going to reactivate the lair?”
Sulina smiled as she placed her hand gently on Ellisia’s shoulder.
“My dear. The virus should have taken that option away from us. Our task is much different. In order for my takeover of Eden to be complete, I need to know if my good-hearted sister is still alive.”
Chapter Ten
Knight and Jess had to abandon the tank and hike the rest of the way. It had served its purpose, getting them up the mountain road much faster than if they had been walking. They had taken only a few steps before they heard the explosion in the distance. Knight looked over his shoulder, knowing that the sound had come from where Geronimo was keeping watch over the convoy.
I hope that wasn’t you, buddy, he thought. Whether it was or not, Knight was too far away to make any difference. All he could do was hope that the sound was Geronimo dishing out some hell. He left the sound and worries behind him and pushed forward.
When they finally found the river, they followed it to a point where it appeared to just stop at ground level, despite the fact that it still flowed.
Knight tightened his lips and looked at Jess.
“Underground. We have to follow the river underground. I would ask if you can swim, but I assume that it was part of your all-encompassing training.”
Jess looked surprised.
“Did you not hear that explosion? Your friend could be—”
“Don’t say that!” he interrupted. “Don’t ever say that! He’s okay. I know he’s okay. Besides, isn’t saving Eden the bigger mission here? You were the one in such a hurry to get moving.”
“Don’t mock me, Evan Knight,” Jess barked. She frowned as she continued, “I know the mission. I just thought that showing no emotion for a friend is not part of your all-encompassing training.”
Knight grimaced as he looked at her.
“Of all the things that you have picked up from me, sarcasm is my least favorite. We’re wasting time, Jess.”
She looked at a small crevice that the river drained into under the mountain. She looked back at Knight.
“I feel when my sisters are in pain. I have ignored the pain I have felt since we arrived. Not because I do not care, but because I honor them in my heart.”
That being said, she dived into the crevice and disappeared from sight.
“This hasn’t been easy for me either, Jess,” Knight sighed as he took a deep breath and eased his way into the 3-foot-wide opening.
***
Knight was swept along by the furious underground torrent. The darkness made it more frightening when he was slammed into the rock wall around each turn. He tumbled and spun while trying to hold his breath. He tried to get into a fetal position to prevent any damage to his limbs, or more importantly his head.
That’s where he realized he made his biggest mistake.
Holding his breath while being curled up was next to impossible. He started to panic as he thought the wild ride would never end. His lungs started to burn and his chest tightened. He knew that if he wasn’t able to breathe soon, the Chosen One would be knocked out of the war, before he even had a chance to fight.
***
Geronimo rested underneath the truck next to the one he’d blown up. Well, they did want to see what was in my backpack, he reasoned. Since it was their last request, it was the least he could do. He doubted it would work the same way if he ran into any others. He would need to be more careful or Molly would be made into a widow while she was much too young.
While he considered his next move, he heard people running from all different directions and surrounding what was left of the burning truck and the Iranians who had approached him. They seemed to be cursing. He saw legs dressed in military boots running all around the area. He counted at least ten soldiers. Ten to one? Been there. Done that.
Never had the stakes been so high. Just trying to imagine his mission was surreal. It was like a wild dream. No matter what the outcome was, it was most assuredly not a happy ending for him. Geronimo eased the picture of him and his wife out of his shirt pocket. It was his favorite photo of Molly and he always had it with him just in case he was in a situation like the one he was facing. He was behind her with his arms wrapped around her as she faced the camera. She had that sparkle in her eyes. That sparkle was for him and him alone.
Whenever he was away from her for any amount of time, he would kiss the photo as if it would be the last time he would get a chance to kiss her. When he returned, he gave her the most passionate kiss he had ever given her up to that point.
He smiled as he closed his eyes and kissed the picture and held fast to his eternal belief that he would see his Molly again.
He couldn’t have picked a better place to keep his faith strong.
He opened his eyes, put his picture away and looked in the direction of the tanks. He couldn’t judge the exact distance because of the trucks in front of him; being flat on the ground didn’t help either. Plus, he’d lost one of his Mac 1
0s and the other gear he had set aside while he was loading the grenades in the backpack in his hurry to find shelter from the explosion. As carefully and quietly as he could, he chambered a round in the remaining Mac 10 and let out a long, quiet breath.
He inched closer to the side of the truck that was furthest from the gathering of soldiers and checked as much of the area as he could from his supine position.
He took a breath and clutched the handle of the pistol. He inched out from under the truck. He would be exposed and vulnerable for some distance before he reached any form of solid cover. Thankfully, his enemy was focused on pulling their friends out of the mess he’d made.
He stood and started to walk slowly toward the cover he could see between the convoy and where his tank was parked. He tried to walk as stealthily as he could before he heard someone behind him shout.
“Shoot him! There he is!”
The shout and the barrage of fire that followed it was like the sound of a starting gun at a track meet. Geronimo put all of his effort in an all-out sprint in the direction of the tank. It seemed even farther away than before. As he ran, he zigzagged back and forth to make himself a harder target to hit. He gritted his teeth and focused on his goal. If I can get to the tank, I’ll give these bastards all sorts of hell.
That’s when the automatic weapons opened fire.
***
It was deathly quiet inside the fortress. Sulina strained to hear the low hum of the emergency lighting. The lights were positioned on the wall every twenty feet and mainly in the halls.
Sulina took point as Ellisia and the others followed. Morina brought up the rear. Despite not having much light, they could see just as easily as if it were outside in broad daylight. The Fallen had a keen sense of night vision.
Sulina stopped in front of the metal door that led to the stairs.
“It looks like we have our work cut out for us,” she said as she looked through the small glass window crisscrossed with wire. She could see that the stairwell was undamaged.