by B.V. Bayly
Chapter Thirty-Five
Everyone in the room sprang into action. They organized the trucks to carry materials to new locations and IP personnel were moved into Church safe houses across North America. Gabriel moved into a side office, trying his best to stay out of the way. He sank gratefully into the only chair in the office. Not sitting on that hardened steel chest was so much better. Osho and Nate followed after him. Nate leaned against the desk and sighed.
Osho put his hand on Nate’s shoulder. “It’s for the best … we couldn’t have survived much longer. The Church has always been good to us. You knew this day would come.”
“I just didn’t know it would happen so soon.” Nate gave a half-hearted smile. “I didn’t think it would end this way.”
Osho turned to Gabriel. “I believe Calvin would have agreed with this choice.”
“You knew him better than I did.” Gabriel shrugged. The statement was exactly how Gabriel felt. The image of who his father was had always been weak. Now, it was broken even further. Gabriel didn’t even know who the man was anymore.
“While it may seem that way, his thoughts were always of his family first. We came second. Don’t ever believe differently.” Dr. Osho’s comment felt like a hollow truth, something told to a child so they wouldn't be hurt by reality. His father had led a double life, a life full of secrets. One that had led him to his death, leaving his family lost without him.
“Did you recover anything out of Calvin’s office?” Osho peeked through the blinds at the warehouse below.
“Yes, we have new coordinates to some of the ore caches. Teams will retrieve them in the next 24 hours. I found the coded journals you were asking for and the hard disk off of the computer, but we were ambushed at the ranch.” Nate ran his hand through his hair. “I’d be dead if Gabriel wasn’t with me. The ore in his chest certainly has some tricks up its sleeve.”
“Ambushed,” Osho frowned, “by who?”
“Not sure.” Nate glanced over at Gabriel. “TERA rolled in late and everything went to hell fast.”
“He was an ore user.” Gabriel nodded at Osho. “He was strong – a lot stronger than me.” It was the truth.
“An ore user?” Osho looked shocked. “Why would they attack us?”
“Whoever he was, he knew about the lab – found out somehow. TERA hit the ranch after we were pinned by the user. It saved our asses.” Nate rolled his eyes. “I guess with the new law in place, Cymru saw it as a good opportunity to go for the lab. Anyhow, the two groups turned on each other – we managed to slip out in the confusion.” Nate sighed.
“So, TERA has the lab?” Osho was visibly upset.
“No.” Gabriel shook his head. “Nate burned it.” He half-smiled. “But that man. He had me beat, but he turned and attacked them like he hated them. I can’t explain it. Do you think he was from a Sphere?”
“Who knows?” Osho looked at Nate. “It’s too risky to send Kyrie out into the field with someone like that out there. We’ll have to investigate the ‘Spheres’ once things settle down.”
“Well, TERA doesn’t have much to work with at the lab.” Nate shrugged. “They shouldn’t be able to salvage much. You know how Calvin kept everything on paper – no traces once it burns.”
“That’s a loss, but for the best I suppose.” Osho rubbed his unshaven chin. “So, the mysterious man knew about the lab. There are only a handful of people who ever knew it existed.”
“Yeah, doesn’t leave us anything to go on.” Nate took a deep breath and joined Osho by the window, slipping his fingers through the blinds for a peek. “We need to shrink our circles, keep track of who knows what.” Nate let the blinds snap shut. “The funny thing was that he was more interested in you.” He turned and stared at Gabriel.
Gabriel shivered. “Me?”
“Not surprising, considering what you can do.” Osho thought for a moment.
“If he wanted the lab – he certainly didn’t try to stop it from burning.” Nate looked at Osho. “Who really knows?” He rubbed at his eyes.
Osho sighed. “We need to get everything moved. I fear anything left in the hands of the IP will belong to TERA by an order from the government. I want you both to come with me to meet the council of the Church in the European Commons.”
“No! I need to stay here. Make sure our operations are safe.” Nate shook his head.
“I understand how you’re feeling after the raid, but others can do that. I need you to help me make sure we are ‘safe’ within the Church. Despite their words, Gabriel still poses a threat to them.” Osho said flatly.
Nate sighed. “You’re probably right.”
“Why would I threaten the Church?” Gabriel blinked.
“Not you, kid. What’s in your chest. Riley mentioned that they’ve been hunting more – tracking more users down.” Nate scratched at his beard. “From the cardinal’s reaction – they seem to already know about you.”
“They may know what he is, but not what he can do. Gabriel, you’ll need to be seen as fairly insignificant.” Osho patted him on the back. “If we keep up the charade, they should back off.”
Gabriel nodded. He had grown accustomed to keeping the crystal hidden. “So, Europe?”
“Yes, Saint Petersburg in the Northern European Commons.” Osho smiled at him. “We leave by jet in twenty minutes with Father Clarence and Cardinal Vincent. Don’t worry about clothing or personal effects of that nature. We will find everything we need once we arrive.”
“Don’t have anything to worry about.” Gabriel shrugged.
“You’re sure we’re doing the right thing?” Nate stood up.
“I don’t think we have much of a choice, Nathaniel. Now, if you will excuse me, I must see to my daughter and family.” Osho left the room.
“How do we know the Church isn’t going to try and kill me again?” Gabriel hunched his shoulders.
“Well, firstly, we aren’t going to tell them. And secondly, if they do, well, that’s why I’m coming.” Nate’s grim tone didn’t give Gabriel much reassurance. “Let’s get our stuff.”
They drove to a nearby airstrip, taking only what they could carry: Nate’s bags of tricks, the chest, and Dr. Osho’s steel briefcase. Boarding the small Lear jet, they found Cardinal Vincent already seated while Father Clarence was performing a pre-flight checklist. Once everyone was buckled in, Father Clarence piloted the small jet down the short runway. Gabriel leaned towards the window as the ground drifted away from him. They lifted high into the sky, passing through the thick layer of clouds and up into the night.
Cardinal Vincent spoke first as they settled in at their cruising altitude. “The IP will fall under Church rule without question; no demands will be made of you. However, we request a penance for the young man here.” The cardinal stared at Gabriel.
“God damn, Riley.” Nate rubbed his beard and shook his head.
“Mr. Reinhart, I would ask you to refrain from using those terms around me. And your friend, Bishop Riley, is the only reason I even allowed the young man on the plane.” The cardinal’s face was stern.
“What is it you desire?” Osho put out a hand to calm Nate.
“It is not a desire, but our mission.” The cardinal smiled at Osho. “Calvin Roberts was an expert in the study of the ore. No one on earth knew more about it than he. In his final days, we understand he was researching ways to dispose of the black ore – to destroy it. The black ore is evil – it is the embodiment of sin. Our research into the black ore has failed to reveal any way of abolishing it.”
“You want my father’s research?” Gabriel interrupted him.
“Yes.” The cardinal faced him. “We will give you exile within the Church, a safe place for you to live out your days. And, in return, you will give us everything Calvin knew about the black ore.”
“That’s not really much of a choice, seeing as we are already en route to St. Petersburg.” Osho leaned back in his chair. “If we refuse?”
Cardinal Vi
ncent half-laughed. “Then he is an enemy of the Church and will be treated as such.”
“Settle down.” Dr. Osho cleared his throat. “There is no need to threaten Gabriel; we would have shared it regardless.”
“Then I must ask for your forgiveness.” The cardinal bowed. “The patriarchs would not have it any other way.”
“Why are you so afraid of ore users?” Gabriel had to ask.
Cardinal Vincent sighed. “It is not the individual we fear. It is what they are capable of. The ore is God’s gift back to us, a chance to redeem this world. That power must be governed by the righteous, the most pure of heart. They must protect it and use it for the good of everyone around them. Ore users disrupt that control – they govern the power the way they see fit. Sometimes they use it against what it was intended for – a perversion of the gift. Their lust for power can overwhelm them and they become lost, losing control of themselves. They mutilate themselves with the ore, seeking more power from it. We have no choice but to destroy the abominations they’ve become.”
The words gave no comfort to Gabriel. He didn’t have a choice about carrying the ore – fate had fused it to his chest.
“I’m sorry if my words upset you. It is a harsh reality, but it is part of our task as stewards of the ore.” The cardinal half-smiled at him. “Are we free to speak openly? There are other matters to be discussed.” He looked at Osho then at Gabriel.
“This young man is as much a part of this as his father was.” Osho patted Gabriel on the knee.
“He’s saved my life once or twice.” Nate smiled at him then stared at the cardinal. “I trust him more than I do you.”
“So be it.” The cardinal looked annoyed. “We have just received some new information from one of our operatives stationed at a border around old Kazakhstan. An old factory north of the border has been receiving a mass influx of supplies and personnel in the last few weeks. Satellite images confirm a huge spike in activity within the last few days. Our border operative says shipments of black ore have been heading there. She cannot tell where the shipments are coming from or whom the personnel at the old factory are working for.”
“I thought most of the ore in the European Commons was under your control.” Nate raised an eyebrow at the cardinal.
“Our stocks have all been accounted for. It’s coming from outside of Europe. The council believes the Horsemen are behind the operation.” The cardinal handed a folder to Nate. “Here’s everything we know.”
“A paper file?” Nate was surprised.
“It’s much easier to dispose of then a Cube. Fire works best.” The cardinal smiled.
“Sounds familiar.” Nate flipped through the pages.
“Why would the Horsemen be in Kazakhstan? After TERA’s move against them how would they have the resources to put this together?” Osho leaned towards Nate, eyeing the folder.
“We’re unsure. We have many operatives within the European government looking for the source, but they aren’t finding much information.” The cardinal pulled out his rosary and thumbed through the beads.
“So, what’s the big concern? You want the ore.” Nate leaned back in his seat, surrendering the folder to Osho. His eyes focused on the cardinal.
“Not exactly, Mr. Reinhart. From what we know of the history of the building, it was once a weapon factory. Now, judging by the equipment being reportedly moved into the area we guess that the facility is being retro-fitted to produce some kind of weaponry.” The cardinal shrugged. “Rumors are circulating that the weaponry utilizes ore.”
“Weapons with ore … How?” Nate leaned forward.
The thought sounded terrifying to Gabriel. He repeated what Adin had told him. “It’s too unstable, and the molecular bonds don’t hold up under any kind of pressure. It’s not possible.”
“I’m impressed.” The cardinal silently thumbed his rosary for a moment. “We don’t know. As I said, everything is just a guess, but I was hoping Dr. Osho might have some thoughts.”
Dr. Osho shook his head. “Gabriel’s right. Doesn’t seem likely.”
“Real or a fairy tale – it doesn’t matter. It could be a threat to us. Its position in Europe makes us the most realistic target.” The cardinal clasped his hands together and leaned forward. “I understand that trust is difficult. But it is something we cannot move forward without. Now, I trust you. And my superiors have trusted my judgment in making you a part of our flock. We need your help on this.”
“Of course.” Dr. Osho bowed his head in apology. “The Horsemen are a crime syndicate. They don’t openly wage war. They kill from the shadows. TERA’s attack on their Chinese headquarters might not have disrupted anything. The possibility that the Horsemen are behind the weapon facility still remains to be proved but weaponizing the ore – that kind of technology would be very advanced.”
“I have to agree. Taking out the headquarters doesn’t mean much. Another would simply rise to power and continue their operations.” Nate’s tone was grimly matter of fact. “It’s the same way terrorist cells work.”
“We have a stronger position than they do in Europe, but we don’t know how strong they are. Some of our own people might even be assisting them – their corruption knows no bounds. With the majority of their operations in the shadows, we have no idea about their real numbers.” The cardinal thumbed the rosary again. “If they become equipped with the right technology, they could amass a powerful army. If a war breaks out between the Church and the Horsemen our government relations might not give us any support." He paused. "Then there’s TERA" Osho handed the folder back to the cardinal. “They still control more than two-thirds of the world’s estimated ore supply and if everyone is forced into using it as a power source, they will want to expand. This might be motivating the Horsemen into action.”
“We will be meeting with the council when we arrive to discuss what will be done about this situation. All your assets will be transferred to our facilities, but you will still maintain control of them. I promise you that, Mr. Reinhart. However, while you are under our protection, I would like you to work with our combative lead – Father Clarence.” The cardinal pointed to the cockpit.
“A priest?” Nate couldn’t help but laugh.
Smiling, the cardinal pointed at him. “You have a lot more in common than you think. Clarence was a highly trained soldier before the Lord called him into service. His fatherhood is more of a title than a lifestyle.”
“To keep an eye on me?” Nate crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow.
“To help you. Dr. Osho, I request you suspend all of your current research and help us focus on a way to neutralize the black ore – we need to have a defense, just in case. I’m sure your studies are far ahead of our own. We’ll make every resource available to you.” The cardinal handed him a thick red folder with 'Classified' written on the side of it. “You will find everything you need in there. If you need anything more just ask.”
“Consider it done.” Osho nodded and flipped through the pages, leaning back into his seat.
“And me?” Gabriel couldn’t help but ask.
The cardinal frowned for a moment, then his expression lightened. “If you’re anything like your father, you will find your place, I’m sure.”
Nate nudged him. “You stick with me. You’re pretty handy in a fight.”