by Ben Zackheim
“You’re a funny man,” Rebel mumbled as she walked into the crowded room. “I can feel a spark of magic in me. Thank you. But it’s small. If I’m going to get back on my feet, I’ll have to do it the old-fashioned way.”
“Sleep with all the right people?”
“Practice, asshole.”
Breakfast was usually a free-for-all. The rationing had left everyone with a steady, draining hunger. We had a few month’s supply left, but the fresh stuff had run out a long time ago. I would have killed for an apple. I slopped some freeze-dried eggs on my plate and tried to ignore the staring masses. The sight of me on my feet was unexpected. I heard the word ‘Healer’ a few times. I would let them gossip. It kept them busy.
“You want someone on guard duty when you sleep?” Rebel asked as she scooped what looked like either soft meatloaf or hard stew into a bowl.
“Why would I want that?”
“To let you get a good night’s sleep. It would be a stupid way to die. Killed by a ghost with a vendetta.”
“No thanks. I’ll keep my weapons locked up. Or not. Maybe I should…”
“What’s wrong?”
I went into whisper mode. “If the kid is right, and I’m pretty damn sure he is, then he has as much of a right to live as I do. More, maybe.”
“I don’t like where this is heading.”
“I’m not going to off myself because a ghost tells me he wants his body back. But I need to find a way to help him.”
“He shoots you. You help him. Makes sense, Kane.”
“If I remember right, I shot you and you’re still helping me.”
“Maybe I am. Maybe I’m not.”
“All I’m saying is, I can’t just spend whatever life is left dodging ghosts, Rebel.” I backed out of the line and found the most isolated spot at a long dining table.
Rebel sat across from me. “Lancelot wants to swap two squads into New York City today. You ready?”
“Just two? That’s no army. That’s only fifty people total.”
“You heard him. He wants to start the build-up slowly.” I guess I looked annoyed because she called me out. “I thought you liked not having to make the tough decisions.”
I shrugged. “I can still have an opinion.”
“Oh, you always have opinions.”
I smiled. “And I’m usually right.”
“You didn’t think it was a good idea for me to train with Pandora.”
“Was I wrong?”
“Sure, minus the fact that I beat Merlin because of her training. I also recall you holding on tight to an opinion that Odin and Freya would make good allies.”
“They would have,” I said, shrugging. “They just ended up being good traitors, too. And Freya still might be a good…”
“Then there was that wise opinion you once held that you and I would make a great couple.”
I almost gagged on my eggish-things. She looked at me with that smirk she wore when she was in the mood to push my buttons. I slowly chewed and swallowed my revolting food, wiped my mouth with my sleeve, and sighed. “That came out of nowhere.”
“Did it?”
“That’s my opinion, yeah.” It was my turn to smirk.
She leaned her elbows on the table. “It’s the End Times, Kane. If you have something to tell me, speak now or forever hold your peace.”
“Piece? Or peace?”
“Peace, pervert.”
“You cut off my fucking hand, Rebel. How could I be into you after you cut off my hand?”
“It grew back. You’re right, though. I shouldn’t leave the door open for the guy who shot me in the brain.”
“Doesn’t look like you needed it.”
We laughed. After the laughter died down, we were left with a silence between us that even the noisy cafeteria couldn’t fill.
“What are you doing, Rebel?”
“Just playing around, Kane.”
“Uh-huh, okay. So maybe we should stop now.”
“Sure, your call. Most fun I’ve had in weeks, though.”
“You didn’t enjoy beating the shit out of Merlin?”
“Sure I did. Just not as much as teasing you.”
I took a bite of my pseudo-food to cover my awkwardness. From the smirk on her face, it didn’t work.
The click of the PA system echoed over our heads. Lancelot’s gravelly voice broke in. “Group One, suit up. Arkwright, we need you at street level. Swap scheduled for 9am.”
We watched a few dozen men and women scurry off to the exit, taking one last bite of a meal that could be the last one some of them would ever have.
I scooped up my tray and finished off a cup of water. “See you on the streets of Pair-ee, partner.”
Rebel sipped her thick stew, swallowed, and said, “Saved by the bell.”
Chapter 19
Lancelot examined his troops.
He and I stood on a makeshift wood platform overlooking the wide boulevard. The soldiers mingled below us, chatting, laughing. The calm mood was a little unsettling. We all knew there was nothing calm about the day to come.
“You know what needs to happen, right?” Lancelot asked.
“First, I help you swap your squads to New York. After that’s finished, I head to Brazil and get that scroll piece.”
“You head to Brazil with me,” Rebel said, walking up behind us.
I pointed at my partner. “With her.”
I noticed the way Rebel looked at Lancelot. She was a tough chick, but I could tell it was hard for her to see him age so fast.
Lancelot sighed. “Fine, but chasing relics around the world usually ends up being a waste of time.”
I smiled. “It sounds like you have some experience.”
He smirked. “Some. So what do you need from us to get the swaps started, Kane?”
I took a look at the troops gathered below. A few of them kept stealing quick glances at me. They were nervous. They should have been nervous. These people had been bakers and teachers and marketing managers a year ago. They were being thrown into the monster’s maw. They were well-armed, sure. But Set’s army of undead would not show any mercy. One guy’s eyes met mine. I smiled to reassure him. He nodded back.
“I can set the portal over there.” I pointed to the sidewalk across the street. “It’s wide and gives the snipers a clear shot at incoming enemies.” Lancelot nodded.
“Step up!” Lancelot yelled. The soldiers got in line. They weren’t trained in any traditional way. They stood upright but they weren’t at attention. It was a sure sign they didn’t have time to get trained properly.
“You know the mission,” the old knight said. “We avoid conflict at all costs. We’re assuming you’ll be dropped somewhere dangerous, but if you’re in the clear upon arrival then do not go looking for trouble. I’m looking at you, Stephan.” A young guy on the front row smiled and held up his hands while people laughed and slapped his back. “Safety on before you step through the portal. Stay low when you get through. Find a shadow and stay out of sight. You have a question, Kelly?”
A young woman stepped forward. Her rifle was as long as both of her arms put together. She looked like a kid, but her voice revealed a confident soldier. “Is it true that trolls are the most likely enemy?”
“The portal will drop you in the vicinity of where Kane aims. But you’re going to be dropped where there are beings to swap with. That could be in the sewers. It could be on a rooftop. Daytime buys us some safety. That’s why we’re timing it like that. But there are no guarantees where you’re going to end up. Or who we’re swapping with. It could be trolls. It could be vampires. It could be humans. Clear?”
Kelly nodded, then looked at me. “Will it hurt?”
“The swap?” I stepped up and stood beside Lancelot. “Not at all. It’s like walking through a door. It can be weird to step into a whole other place, but if you’re ready for it you won’t have any problems.”
“Why aren’t you going with us, Arkwright?” someo
ne yelled.
“Am I invited?” I asked. That got some chuckles.
“Kane is headed out on a mission with Rebel,” Lancelot said.
“What’s the mission?” Kelly asked.
Lancelot gave me a sideways glance. “They’re lining up your next target. You just go do your job and come back so you can find out what they’re up to. You’re all armed. If you run into vampires, you all know to shoot for the jaw. Kills are too tough. But if you take their jaws out, you take them out of the fight. If it’s trolls, headshots will do the trick.” Lancelot let the silence of the moment linger. “Line up near the post office! Sharpshooters ready?” He looked to the rooftops and got a dozen thumbs-ups. “Just remember! We may be swapping with the good guys here, so get a good look at the targets before you squeeze the trigger!”
As we watched the troops cross the broad street, I noticed several of them looking both ways before they stepped off the curb. Old habits die hard.
“Anything to add before we get started?” Lancelot asked me under his breath.
“No, sir. You really are good at this, you know.”
“A thousand years gives a man time to get good at something.” He gestured with his hand for me to begin.
I hopped down the platform’s steps and walked toward the crowd. They backed off.
I took a deep breath. Performance anxiety wasn’t usually a concern, but there was something about the spectacle of the moment that made me doubt myself. Would the portal misbehave again? It had been so cooperative for the last few weeks, but could that last? I don’t know why, but I looked over my shoulder at Rebel. She nodded. I nodded back.
I concentrated on opening the Swap Portal to Jersey City, just across the river from Manhattan. A slice of blue light emerged in the air in front of me. It fizzled out.
Shit.
I took another deep breath and remembered my conclusion that the portals acted calm when I was calm. I glanced at Rebel again and breathed in. The portal opened wide. I nodded at Lancelot and stepped back to give the soldiers a clear path to the other side of the ocean.
“Just like we practiced!” Lancelot said. “Full sprint! On my command!”
I gave a thumbs-up to the soldier who had nodded to me earlier. He didn’t respond this time. The terror in his eyes was all I could see. I didn’t blame him. The nightmare scenario for any dangerous mission is that the fog of war is so thick you can’t see your nose.
Every single one of them wondered what they were walking into.
The first two soldiers ran through the Swap Portal in perfect sync and we all got our answer.
Chapter 20
Demons.
Our soldiers in Paris were swapping with demons in Jersey City.
What the hell were demons doing in Jersey City? Pun intended, as usual.
The demons were a couple of varieties. One had a distinctly jikininki look to him, with a mouth that took up most of his face, while the other demon was like Lucas, an archdemon.
In the rush to win this war, we hadn’t considered demons thoroughly enough.
I had an idea. The sceptre could help me control them, just as it had back in Montfort-l’Amaur when we were looking for the spear. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to tell Lancelot.
“FIRE!” Lancelot yelled.
Our soldiers swarmed into the portal as the cracking sound of sniper rounds echoed through the wide boulevard. The demons hissed as they emerged from the portal and piled on top of each other. The pile got larger by the second as our troops ran through the portal, swapping themselves with hellspawn.
I tried to open the Vault Portal to grab the sceptre, but it was no good. The chaos was too distracting. I looked up at Lancelot. I waved my arms in the air to get his attention. But his focus was on the growing hordes of the enemy who were slowly gathering their senses. I heard their shrieks get louder behind me. I had to tell him about the demons. I had to let him know I might be able to control them with the sceptre of Was.
But the chaos was getting worse. A giant of a demon, even larger than my bud Belch, had joined the party. I got a front row seat of him picking up a fellow demon in one hand and tossing him ten stories up. The flailing demon-missile slammed into one of our snipers with a wet crack that made the other demons laugh.
Their glee was a sound that chilled humans to the core.
I turned and ran back to the Swap Portal.
Rebel’s voice shot into my head over the comm. “Kane! What are you doing?”
“Change of plans, Rebel. We’re not going to Brazil yet. Tell Lancelot I think I can control the demons with the sceptre of Was.”
“You have got to be kidding me! Kane! Get back here!”
But I had my eyes on that Swap Portal. If I could make it through I might be able to control the demon army in New Jersey. It was too late to stop the massacre in Paris. But if they had big numbers in the States, then the demons could be a valuable ally. I’m not ashamed to admit it, but even in that frantic moment, with blood flying all around me, I felt useful again. I felt like I was going to help win the damned war. I was going to recruit thousands of hellspawn to our side.
I was one step away from stepping through the Swap Portal when the whole world went black.
***
I don’t know how long I was unconscious, but I woke up in Paris with the fight going full-tilt. Demons swarmed the boulevard. My heart sank when I realized there were more than 50 of them. That could only mean they’d jumped through the portal in New Jersey by choice and swapped places with some of our own people.
People who were not armed or ready for battle.
“Stay on the ground!” someone yelled. I felt a boot on my chest. It shoved me back onto the sidewalk. “You stay where you are, you fucking traitor!”
“Traitor, what are you…”
A soldier stepped into my tunnel vision and pointed his pistol at me. “Shut up! You were trying to get through the Swap Portal! That wasn’t in the plan. I don’t know what you’re up to Arkwright, but I’m not going to let you stab us in the back again!”
“Hey, listen to me. I wasn’t betraying anyone. I can control these demons. I just need…”
“I said shut up!” He fired his gun and I waited for the pain to kick in, but when I opened an eye to see what was going on, I realized he was taking out demons who were getting a little too close. He found a spare moment to wave the weapon in my face again. “Shut the fucking portal! They’re coming through! They’ve already swapped the general out of here!”
I didn’t need any prompting. I willed the Swap Portal closed just as another giant demon stepped into Paris with his ten foot stride.
“Rebel?”
No response on the comm.
I had to assume she’d been swapped to New Jersey too.
The new demon giant turned his head and looked down at me. I could swear he’d heard me calling out for Rebel on my comm. The smirk on his face did not look promising. He turned to face me in one slow, hypnotizing turn.
“Kane Arkwright,” he said in what was probably a whisper to him, but to us little people it was like a lion’s yawn. The air coming from those lungs was strong enough to vibrate my guts.
“Welcome to Paris, ugly! You don’t have to thank me!”
He cocked his head. “For what?”
“For the free trans-Atlantic trip. Try not to break anything.”
Yeah, I was buying time. I needed to calm down enough to pop the Vault Portal open.
He took a step toward me, halving the distance between us. I scrambled to my feet and backed away. I had to crane my neck to see his face. It was the best view of a demon’s nostrils I’d ever seen.
Another giant demon, who had stepped through the portal before I’d been knocked unconscious, appeared behind my tormentor. He was slightly smaller but both of them towered over twenty feet tall. The smaller demon croaked out something resembling Latin. My best translation was, “Vostra, is it him?” The bigger guy nodded without taking h
is eyes off of me. “What do we do? Do we kill him?”
The demon didn’t answer. He just kept looking at me like I was a Sudoku puzzle. I did take some solace in the fact that both of them were swatting away attacking demons who were getting too close to me. One of their unlucky comrades got smacked by both giants at the same time, tearing him in two at the waist. The top half slid across the sidewalk and stopped at my feet. He was dead but he didn’t know it. His claws wrapped around my ankle and his teeth chattered together. If he had to go, he’d go out eating. My kind of demon.
Vostra, the big one, took a step toward me to pull the thing loose. But my Glock put the half-a-demon out of his misery with a single shot between the eyes. The giant demon stopped short, with one eyebrow raised. Then he started to laugh.
I used the opportunity to open the Vault Portal in front of me.
“Not bad, human,” Vostra said. Each of his words reverberated in my stomach. The bass in his voice was arena rock incarnate. He didn’t notice my portal.
“So we let him live, Vostra?” the smaller one asked.
Vostra turned to his comrade. “We take him to our master and we let him decide.”
I reached into the Vault Portal and pulled out the sceptre of Was.
I held the relic up straight in front of me and sensed my connection with it grow, just as it had every other time I’d felt its heft in my grip.
“Your master says back the fuck up.”
Chapter 21
They bowed.
The demons bowed to me.
And it wasn’t one of those waist bows, either. They dropped to a knee and lowered their heads.
“STOP!” I yelled. The remaining demons zipping around the boulevard froze as if someone had pressed the pause button on reality.
Then they started dying one-by-one as our snipers took their shots. I yelled for them to stop, but I had no control over Lancelot’s troops. Their general had disappeared. Their comrades had been killed. They felt the danger of the moment down to their bones and they were not, under any circumstances, going to stop shooting until their enemies were dead.